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The 
Clipper  Ship  Era 

An  Epitome  of  Famous  American  and  British 

Clipper  Ships,  Their  Owners,  Builders, 

Commanders,  and  Crews 

1843-1869 


By 

Arthur  H.  Clark 

Late  Commander  of  Ship  "  Verena,"  Barque  "Agnes,'' 

Steamships  "  Manchu,"  "  Suwo  Nada,"  "Venus," 

and  "Indiana.    (1863-1877) 

Author  of  "The  History  of  Yachting" 


With  39  Illustrations 


G.  p.  Putnam's  Sons 

New  York  and  London 

Zbc  fcniclterbockcc   ipreds 

1911 


Copyright,  iqio 

BY 

ARTHUR  H.  CLARK 

Published,  November,  igio 
Reprinted,  January,  19"  ;  March,  19" 


Ube  ttnicfcerbocfecr  press,  "ftew  Kork 


us 

CO 

en 


7^S 


THE  MEMORY  OF 
A   FRIEND    OF   MY   BOYHOOD 

DONALD  McKAY 

BUILDER   OF   SHIPS 


PREFACE 

THE  Clipper  Ship^  Era  began  in  1843  as  a  result 
of  the  growing  demand  for  a  more  rapid  de- 
livery of  tea  from  China;  continued  under  the 
stimulating  influence  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in 
California  and  Australia  in  1849  and  1851,  and 
ended  with  the  opening  of  the  Suez  Canal  in  1869. 
These  memorable  years  form  one  of  the  most  im- 
portant and  interesting  periods  of  maritime  his- 
tory. They  stand  between  the  centuries  during 
which  man  navigated  the  sea  with  sail  and  oar — 
a  slave  to  unknown  winds  and  currents,  helpless 
alike  in  calm  and  in  storm — and  the  successful 
introduction  of  steam  navigation,  by  which  man 
has  obtained  mastery  upon  the  ocean. 

After  countless  generations  of  evolution,  this  era 
witnessed  the  highest  development  of  the  wooden 
sailing  ship  in  construction,  speed,  and  beauty. 
Nearly  all  the  clipper  ships  made  records  which 
were  not  equalled  by  the  steamships  of  their  day; 
and  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  elapsed,  de- 
voted to  discovery  and  invention  in  perfecting  the 
marine  engine  and  boiler,  before  the  best  clipper 
ship  records  for  speed  were  broken  by  steam  ves- 
sels.    During  this   era,   too,   important  discoveries 


VI 


Preface 


were  made  in  regard  to  the  laws  governing  the 
winds  and  currents  of  the  ocean;  and  this  know- 
ledge, together  with  improvements  in  model  and 
rig,  enabled  sailing  ships  to  reduce  by  forty  days 
the  average  time  formerly  required  for  the  outward 
and  homeward  voyage  from  England  and  America 
to  Australia. 

In  pursuing  this  narrative  we  shall  see  the  stately, 
frigate-built  Indiaman,  with  her  batteries  of  guns 
and  the  hammocks  stowed  in  nettings,  disappear, 
and  her  place  taken  by  the  swift  China,  Califor- 
nia, and  Australian  clippers,  which  in  their  turn, 
after  a  long  and  gallant  contest,  at  last  vanish  before 
the  advancing  power  of  steam. 

Many  of  the  clipper  ships  mentioned  in  this  book, 
both  American  and  British,  were  well  known  to 
me;  some  of  the  most  celebrated  of  the  American 
clippers  were  built  near  my  early  home  in  Boston, 
and  as  a  boy  I  saw  a  number  of  them  constructed 
and  launched;  later,  I  sailed  as  an  officer  in  one 
of  the  most  famous  of  them,  and  as  a  young  sea- 
captain  knew  many  of  the  men  who  commanded 
them.  I  do  not,  however,  depend  upon  memory, 
nearly  all  the  facts  herein  stated  being  from  the 
most  reliable  records  that  can  be  obtained.  So 
far  as  I  am  aware,  no  account  of  these  vessels  has 
ever  been  written,  beyond  a  few  magazine  and  news- 
paper articles,  necessarily  incomplete  and  often  far 
from  accurate;  while  most  of  the  men  who  knew 
these  famous  ships  have  now  passed  away.  It  seems 
proper,  therefore,  that  some  account  of  this  re- 
markable era  should  be  recorded  by  one  who  has 
a  personal  knowledge  of  the  most  exciting  portion 


Preface 


Vll 


of  itj  and  of  many  of  the  men  and  ships  that  made 
it  what  it  was. 

Of  late  years  there  has  been  a  confusing  mixture 
of  the  terms  knot  and  mile  as  applied  to  the  speed 
of  vessels.  As  most  persons  are  aware,  there  are 
three  kinds  of  mile:  the  geographical,  statute,  and 
sea  mile  or  knot.  The  geographical  mile  is  based 
on  a  measure  upon  the  surface  of  the  globe,  and 
is  a  mathematical  calculation  which  should  be  used 
by  experts  only.  The  statute  mile,  instituted  by 
the  Romans,  is  a  measure  of  5280  feet.  The  sea 
mile  or  knot  is  one  sixtieth  of  a  degree  of  latitude; 
and  while  this  measurement  varies  slightly  in  dif- 
ferent latitudes,  owing  to  the  elliptical  shape  of 
the  globe,  for  practical  purposes  the  knot  may  be 
taken  as  6080  feet. 

The  word  knot  is  now  frequently  used  to  express 
long  distances  at  sea.  This  is  an  error,  as  the 
term  knot  should  be  used  only  to  denote  an  hourly 
rate  of  speed;  for  instance,  to  say  that  a  vessel  is 
making  nine  knots  means  that  she  is  going  through 
the  water  at  the  rate  of  nine  knots  an  hour,  but 
it  would  be  incorrect  to  say  that  she  made  thirty- 
six  knots  in  four  hours;  here  the  term  miles  should 
be  used,  meaning  sea  miles  or  knots.  The  term 
knot  is  simply  a  unit  of  speed,  and  is  derived  from 
the  knots  marked  on  the  old-fashioned  log  line  and 
graduated  to  a  twenty-eight-second  log  glass  which 
was  usually  kept  in  the  binnacle.  In  this  book  the 
w^ord  mile  means  a  sea  mile  and  not  a  geographical 
or  statute  mile. 

I  wish  to  make  my  grateful  acknowledgment  to 
the  Hydrographic  Office  at  Washington,  the  British 


VIU 


Preface 


Museum,  Lloyd's  Register  of  Shipping,  the  Ameri- 
can Bureau  of  Shipping,  the  Boston  Athenaeum, 
and  the  Astor  Library,  for  much  of  the  data 
contained  in  this  book. 

A.  H.  0. 

New  York,  1910. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    American  Shipping  to  the  Close  of  the 

War  of  1812 1 

II.    British  Shipping  after  1815 — The  East 

India  Company 19 

III.  The    North    Atlantic    Packet    Ships, 

1815-1850 38 

IV.  Opium  Clippers  and  Early  Clipper  Ships, 

1838-1848 57 

V.    Two  Early  Clipper  Ship  Commanders  .        73 

VI.    The  Repeal  of  the  British  Navigation 

Laws — The  "  Oriental  "  .        .        .        88 

VII.    The    Rush   for   California — A    Sailing 

Day 100 

VIII.    The  Clipper  Ship  Crews  ....      119 

IX.  California  Clippers  of  1850  and  their 
Commanders — Maury's  Wind  and 
Current  Charts        ....      134 

X.  California  Clippers  of  1851  and  their 
Commanders — A  Day  on  Board  the 
"  Witch  of  the  Wave  "  .        .      151 

XI.    California  Clipper  Passages  in  1851    .      173 

XII.    American     Competition     with      Great 

Britain  in  the  China  Trade  .        .      195 
ix 


Contents 


XIII. 

XIV. 
XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 
XXII. 


California  Clippers  of  1852 — The  "  Sov 

EREIGN    OF    THE    SEAS  " 

California  Clippers  of  1853  . 

The  "  Great  Republic  "  and  the  "  Dread 
nought "     


American  Clippers  of  1854  and  1855 

Australian  Voyages,  1851-1854 

Australian  Clippers,  1854-1856 

Last  Years  of  the  American  Clipper 
Ship  Era — Summary  of  California 
Passages     ...... 

The  Greatness  and  the  Decline  of  the 
American  Merchant  Marine  . 

The  Later  British  Tea  Clippers  . 

The  Fate  of  the  Old  Clipper  Ships     . 

Appendices 

Index 


211 

224 

235 
248 
260 
273 

289 

308 
318 
340 
349 
377 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


The  "Flying   Cloud"     .        ,        .     Frontispiece 

East  Indiamen,  1720 24 

An   East   Indiaman,   1788 30 

The  "  Marlborough  "  and  "  Blenheim  "      .        .  36 

The  "England" 40 

The  "  Montezuma  " 44 

The  "  Yorkshire  " 48 

Jacob  A.  Westervelt 104 

Jacob  Bell 104 

William  H.  Webb 106 

Samuel  Hall 106 

Robert  H.  Waterman 112 

N.  B.  Palmer 112 

JosiAH  P.  Creesy 122 

H.  W.  Johnson 122 

David  S.  Babcock 128 

George   Lane 128 

Lauchlan  McKay 130 

Philip  Dumaresq 130 

xi 


xii  Illustrations 

PAGE 

The  "  Surprise  "    .           136 

The  "  Stag-Hound  " 142 

Matthew  Fontaine  Maury 148 

The  "  Nightingale  " 164 

The  "Challenge" 186 

The  "  Stornoway  " 198 

The  "  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  "      ,        .        .        .  218 

The  "  Comet  " 224 

The  "  Young  America  " 232 

The  "  Great  Republic  " 242 

The  "  Dreadnought  " 246 

The  "  Brisk  "  and  "  Emanuela  "  .        .        .        .252 

Donald  McKay 256 

The  "  Red  Jacket  " 272 

The  "James  Baines  " 282 

The  "  Schomberg  " 286 

The  "  Sweepstakes  " 290 

The  Composite  Construction 322 

The    "  Ariel  "    and    "  Taeping  "     Running    up 

Channel,  September  5,  1866  ....  328 

The  "Lahloo" 336 


The  Clipper  Ship  Era 


THE  CLIPPER  SHIP  ERA 


CHAPTER  I 


AMERICAN    SHIPPING    TO    THE    CLOSE    OF    THE 
WAR    OF    1812 

THE  deeds  that  have  made  the  Clipper  Ship  Era 
a  glorious  memory  were  wrought  by  the  ship- 
builders and  master  mariners  of  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain,  for  the  flag  of  no  other  nation 
was  represented  in  this  spirited  contest  upon  the 
sea.  In  order,  therefore,  to  form  an  intelligent 
idea  of  this  era,  it  is  necessary  to  review  the  con- 
dition of  the  merchant  marine  of  the  two  countries 
for  a  considerable  period  preceding  it,  as  well  as 
the  events  that  led  directly  to  its  development. 

From  the  earliest  colonial  days,  ship-building  has 
been  a  favorite  industry  in  America.  The  first 
vessel  built  within  the  present  limits  of  the  United 
States  was  the  Yirginia,  a  pinnace  of  thirty  tons, 
constructed  in  1007  by  the  Popham  colonists  who 
had  arrived  during  the  summer  at  Stage  Island, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec  River,  on  board 
the  ships  Gift  of  God  and  Marij  mid  John.  Wlien 
these  vessels   returned   to   England,   leaving   forty- 

I 


2  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

five  persons  to  establish  a  fishing  station,  and  a 
severe  winter  followed,  the  colonists  became  dis- 
heartened and  built  the  Virginia  which  carried  them 
home  in  safety  and  which  subsequently  made 
several  voyages  across  the  Atlantic. 

The  Onriist,  of  sixteen  tons,  was  built  at  Man- 
hattan in  1613-14,  by  Adrian  Block  and  his  com- 
panions, to  replace  the  Tiger,  which  had  been 
damaged  by  fire  beyond  repair.  After  exploring 
the  coasts  of  New  England  and  Delaware  Bay, 
she  sailed  for  Holland  with  a  cargo  of  furs.  The 
Blessing  of  the  Bay,  a  barque  of  thirty  tons,  was 
built  by  order  of  Governor  John  Winthrop  at  Med- 
ford,  near  Boston,  and  was  launched  amid  solemn 
rejoicings  by  the  Puritans  on  July  4,  1631.  This 
little  vessel  was  intended  to  give  the  New  England 
colonists  a  means  of  communication  with  their 
neighbors  at  New  Amsterdam  less  difficult  than 
that  through  the  wilderness.  So  we  see  that  ship- 
building was  begun  in  America  under  the  pressure 
of  necessity,  and  it  was  fostered  by  the  conditions 
of  life  in  the  new  country. 

In  the  year  1668,  the  ship-building  in  New  Eng- 
land, small  as  it  may  now  seem,  had  become  suffi- 
ciently important  to  attract  the  attention  of  Sir 
Josiah  Child,  sometime  Chairman  of  the  Court  of 
Directors  of  the  East  India  Company,  who  in  his 
Discourse  on  Trade  protests  with  patriotic  alarm: 
"  Of  all  the  American  plantations,  His  Majesty  has 
none  so  apt  for  building  of  shipping  as  New  Eng- 
land, nor  any  comparably  so  qualified  for  the  breed- 
ing of  seamen,  not  only  by  reason  of  the  natural 
industry  of  that  people,  but  principally  by  reason 


American  Shipping  up  to  1812         3 

of  their  cod  and  mackerel  fisheries,  and,  in  my 
poor  opinion,  there  is  nothing  more  prejudicial,  and 
in  prospect  more  dangerous,  to  any  mother  kingdom, 
than  the  increase  in  shipping  in  her  colonies,  planta- 
tions, and  provinces.'^ 

The  apprehension  of  the  worthy  Sir  Josiah  was 
well  founded,  for  at  that  period  most  of  the  spars 
and  much  of  the  timber  which  went  into  tlie  con- 
struction of  the  East  Indiamen  and  the  fighting 
ships  of  his  royal  master,  King  Charles  II.,  had 
grown  in  American  soil,  and  of  1332  vessels  regis- 
tered as  built  in  New  England  between  1074  and 
1714,  no  less  than  239  were  built  for  or  sold  to 
merchants  abroad.  Not  that  they  were  better  than 
foreign  built  vessels,  but  on  account  of  the  plentiful 
supply  of  timber  they  could  be  built  more  cheaply 
in  America  than  in  Great  Britain  and  on  the 
Continent. 

The  industry  was  in  a  promising  and  healthy 
condition,  and  so  continued,  until  in  1720  the  Lon- 
don shipwrights  informed  the  Lords  of  Trade  that 
the  New  England  shipyards  had  drawn  away  so 
many  men  "  that  there  were  not  enough  left  to 
carry  on  the  work."  They  therefore  prayed  that 
colonial  built  ships  be  excluded  from  all  trade  ex- 
cept with  Great  Britain  and  her  colonies,  and  that 
the  colonists  be  forbidden  to  build  ships  above  a 
certain  size.  The  Lords  of  Trade,  though  fine 
crusty  old  protectionists,  were  unable  to  see  their 
way  to  granting  any  such  prayer  as  this,  and  so 
ship-building  continued  to  flourish  in  America.  In 
the  year  17G9,  the  colonists  along  the  whole  Atlantic 
coast  launched  389  vessels,  of  which  113  were  square- 


4  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

riggers.  It  should  not,  however,  be  imagined  that 
these  vessels  were  formidable  in  size.  The  whole 
389  had  an  aggregate  register  of  20,001  tons,  an 
average  of  slightly  over  50  tons  each.  Of  these 
vessels  137,  of  8013  tons,  were  built  in  Massa- 
chusetts; 45,  of  2452  tons  in  New  Hampshire;  50, 
of  1542  tons,  in  Connecticut;  19,  of  955  tons,  in 
New  York;  22,  of  1469  tons,  in  Pennsylvania.  It 
is  probable  that  few  of  them  exceeded  100  tons 
register,  and  that  none  was  over  200  tons  register. 

With  the  advent  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  the 
rivalry  on  the  sea  between  the  older  and  the  younger 
country  took  a  more  serious  turn.  Centuries  before 
clipper  ships  were  ever  thought  of,  England  had 
claimed,  through  her  repeated  and  victorious  naval 
wars  against  Spain,  Holland,  France,  and  lesser 
nations,  the  proud  title  of  Mistress  of  the  Seas,  but 
in  the  Revolutionary  War  with  her  American  colo- 
nies and  the  War  of  1812  with  the  United  States, 
her  battleships  and  fleets  of  merchantmen  were 
sorely  harassed  by  the  swift,  light-built,  and 
heavily-armed  American  frigates  and  privateers. 
While  it  cannot  be  said  that  the  naval  power  of 
England  upon  the  ocean  was  seriously  impaired, 
yet  the  speed  of  the  American  vessels  and  the  skill 
and  gallantry  with  which  they  were  fought  and 
handled,  made  it  apparent  that  the  young  giant  of 
the  West  might  some  day  claim  the  sceptre  of  the 
sea  as  his  own. 

During  the  latter  half  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
however,  the  leading  nation  in  the  modelling  and 
construction  of  ships  was  France,  and  during  this 
period  the  finest  frigates  owned  in  the  British  Navy 


American  Shipping  up  to  1812         5 

were  those  captured  from  the  French.  The  frigate 
was  indeed  invented  in  England,  the  first  being  the 
Constant  Waricich,  launched  in  1047,  by  Peter  Pett, 
who  caused  the  fact  of  his  being  the  inventor  of 
the  frigate  to  be  engraved  upon  his  tomb;  but  in 
the  improvement  of  the  type,  England  had  long 
been  outstripped  by  her  neighbor  across  the  channel. 
William  James,^  the  well  known  historian  of  the 
British  Navy,  makes  mention  of  the  French  forty- 
gun  frigate  Ec'be  which  was  captured  by  the  British 
frigate  Rainbow  in  1782,  and  records  that  "  this 
prize  did  prove  a  most  valuable  acquisition  to  the 
service,  there  being  few  British  frigates  even  ol 
the  present  day  (1847)  which,  in  size  and  exterior 
form,  are  not  copied  from  the  Hchc/^  As  late  as 
1821  the  AiTOtv,  for  many  years  the  fastest  yacht 
owned  in  England,  was  modelled  from  the  lines  of 
a  French  lugger,  recently  wrecked  upon  the  Dorset 
coast,  which  proved  to  be  a  well  known  smuggler 
that  had  for  years  eluded  the  vigilance  of  H.  M. 
excise  cutters,  always  escaping  capture,  although 
often  sighted,  through  her  superior  speed. 

1  A  frigate  was  a  ship  designed  to  be  a  fast,  armed 
cruiser  and  mounted  from  twenty  to  fifty  guns;  when  a 
naval  vessel  mounted  less  than  twenty  guns  she  became 
a  sloop  of  war,  and  when  she  mounted  more  than  fifty 
guns  she  became  a  line-of-battle  ship.  The  frigate  was 
always  a  favorite  type  of  vessel  with  the  officers  and  men 
of  the  navy,  as  she  was  faster  and  more  easily  handled 
than  a  line-of-battle  ship,  and  was  at  the  same  time  a 
more  powerful  fighting  and  cruising  vessel  than  a  sloop 
of  war.  Frigate-built  means  having  the  substantial  con- 
struction, arrangement  of  the  decks,  masts,  spars,  rigging^ 
and  guns  of  a  frigate. 


6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

The  United  States  no  less  than  Great  Britain  was 
indebted  to  France  for  improvements  in  the  models 
of  her  ships  at  this  period.  During  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  when  a  treaty  was  entered  into  be- 
tween France  and  the  United  States  in  1778,  a 
number  of  French  frigates  and  luggers  appeared  in 
American  waters.  The  luggers,  rating  from  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  tons  and  some 
even  higher,  belonged  to  the  type  used  by  the  pri- 
vateersmen  of  Brittany,  a  scourge  upon  every  sea 
where  the  merchant  flag  of  an  enemy  was  to  be 
found.  They  were  the  fastest  craft  afloat  in  their 
day.  When  the  French  frigates  and  luggers  were 
dry  docked  in  American  ports  for  cleaning  or  re- 
pairs, their  lines  were  carefully  taken  off  by  enter- 
prising young  shipwrights  and  were  diligently 
studied.  It  was  from  these  vessels  that  the  first 
American  frigates  and  privateers  originated,  and 
among  the  latter  were  the  famous  Baltimore  ves- 
sels which  probably  during  the  War  of  1812  first 
became  known  as  "  Baltimore  clippers." 

Congress  ordered  four  frigates  and  three  sloops 
of  war  to  be  built  in  1778,  and  almost  countless 
privateers  suddenly  sprang  into  existence  at  ports 
along  the  Atlantic  seaboard,  most  of  them  copied 
from  models  of  the  French  vessels.  One  of  the 
frigates,  the  Alliance,  named  to  commemorate  the 
alliance  between  France  and  the  United  States,  was 
built  at  Salisbury,  Massachusetts,  by  William  and 
John  Hackett.  Her  length  was  151  feet,  breadth 
36  feet,  and  depth  of  hold  12  feet  6  inches,  and  she 
drew  when  ready  for  sea  14  feet  8  inches  aft  and 
9  feet  forward.     She  was  a  favorite  with  the  whole 


American  Shipping  up  to  1812         7 

navy  by  reason  of  her  speed  and  beauty,  and  on 
her  first  voyage  she  had  the  honor  of  conveying 
Lafayette  to  France.  At  the  close  of  the  war  she 
was  sold  by  the  Government  and  became  a  merchant- 
man famous  in  the  China  and  India  trade.  Sev- 
eral of  the  privateers  were  built  and  fitted  out  at 
Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  and  Newburyport, 
Massachusetts.  Those  in  w^hich  Nathaniel  Tracy 
was  interested  captured  no  less  than  120  vessels, 
amounting  to  23,3G0  tons,  which  with  their  cargoes 
were  condemned  and  sold  for  3,950,000  specie  dol- 
lars; and  with  these  prizes  were  taken  2220  prison- 
ers of  war.  Many  other  instances  of  this  nature 
might,  of  course,  be  mentioned,  but  the  important 
point  is  the  fact  that  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century  and  the  early  part  of  the  nine- 
teenth, as  well,  the  fastest  vessels  owned  or  built 
in  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  were  from 
French  models.^ 

1  When  peace  was  declared  in  1783,  the  Government  of 
the  United  States  sold  or  otherwise  disposed  of  all  its 
vessels,  a  fact  that  was  quickly  taken  advantage  of  by 
the  Barbary  corsairs.  They  at  once  began  to  prey  upon 
American  merchant  shipping  in  the  Mediterranean  and 
even  in  the  Atlantic,  and  made  slaves  of  the  captured 
crews.  The  French  and  English,  too,  in  their  wars  with 
each  other,  by  no  means  respected  the  neutrality  of 
American  commerce,  the  former  being  the  worse  of- 
fenders. It  was  not,  however,  until  1794  that  Congress 
again  authorized  the  formation  of  a  navy,  under  the 
Secretary  of  War,  and  in  1798  the  office  of  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  was  created.  Among  the  vessels  built  in  1794- 
98  was  the  frigate  Constitution,  the  famous  "  Old  Iron- 
sides "  which  still  survives.  The  separate  States  had 
meanwhile  maintained  vessels  for  the  protection  of  their 


8  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

The  characteristics  of  the  French  model  were  a 
beautifully  rounded  bow,  by  no  means  sharp  along 
the  water-line,  easy  sectional  lines  developing  into 
a  full,  powerful  forebody  and  midship  section,  and 
great  dead  rise  at  half  floor.  The  greatest  breadth 
was  well  forward  of  amidships  and  at  the  water- 
line,  with  a  slight,  gracefully  rounded  tumble  home 
to  the  plank-sheer.  The  after-body  was  finely 
moulded,  clean,  sharp,  and  long,  with  a  powerful 
transom  and  quarters.  The  time-honored  cod's 
head  and  mackerel's  tail:  the  figureheads  and  orna- 
mentation of  the  quarters  and  stern,  were  veritable 
works  of  art.  By  comparing  the  models  of  the 
British  frigates  of  that  day  to  be  seen  in  the  Naval 
Museum  at  Greenwich,  and  the  lines  of  the  Ameri- 
can frigates  and  Baltimore  clippers  of  the  same 
period,  with  the  models  still  preserved  in  the 
Louvre,  it  is  easy  to  trace  a  family  likeness  among 
them  all,  the  parent  being  of  French  origin.  The 
grandparent  also  might  easily  be  identified,  in  the 
Italian  galleys  of  Genoa  and  Venice,  though  this  is 
of  no  importance  to  our  present  purpose. 

That  the  American  vessels  showed  a  marked  su- 
periority in  point  of  speed  over  British  men-of-war 
and  merchant  ships  during  these  two  wars  is  the 
more  remarkable  from  the  fact  that  frigates  had 
been  built  in  England  for  a  century  and  a  half,  as 
we  have  seen,  and,  while  it  is  true  that  two  vessels 
for  the  British  Government  were  built  at  Ports- 
mouth   previous    to    the    Kevolutionary    War — the 

own  coasts,  and,  of  course,  there  had  been  no  cessation 
in  the  building  of  merchant  ships  during  the  period 
preceding  the  War  of  1812. 


American  Shipping  up  to  1812         9 

Faulldmid,  fifty-four  guns,  in  1690,  and  the  America, 
fifty  guns,  in  1740 — still,  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Revolution,  the  shipwrights  of  America  scarcely 
knew  what  a  frigate  was,  and  much  less  had  thought 
of  building  one.  It  had  been  the  policy  of  Great 
Britain  to  keep  her  American  colonies  as  much  as 
possible  in  ignorance  concerning  naval  affairs, 
doubtless  from  fear  of  their  growing  ambition. 
They  were  therefore  led  to  copy  the  models  of 
French  vessels,  not  only  from  choice,  on  account 
of  their  excellence,  but  from  necessity  as  well. 
Thus  it  came  about  that  the  frigates  of  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States  were  developed 
from  the  same  source. 

A  sailing  ship  is  an  exceedingly  complex,  sensi- 
tive, and  capricious  creation — quite  as  much  so  as 
most  human  beings.  Her  coquetry  and  exasperat- 
ing deviltry  have  been  the  delight  and  despair  of 
seamen's  hearts,  at  least  since  the  days  when  the 
wise,  though  much-married,  Solomon  declared  that 
among  the  things  that  were  too  wonderful  for  him 
and  which  he  knew  not,  was  "  the  way  of  a  ship 
in  the  midst  of  the  sea."  While  scientific  research 
has  increased  since  Solomon's  time,  it  has  not  kept 
pace  with  the  elusive  character  of  the  ship,  for  no 
man  is  able  to  tell  exactly  what  a  ship  will  or  will 
not  do  under  given  conditions.  Some  men,  of 
course,  know  more  than  others,  yet  no  one  has  ever 
lived  who  could  predict  with  accuracy  the  result 
of  elements  in  design,  construction,  and  rig.  His- 
tory abounds  in  instances  of  ships  built  for  speed 
that  have  turned  out  dismal  failures,  and  it  has 
occasionally    happened    that    ships    built    with    no 


lo  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

especial  expectation  of  speed  have  proven  fliers.  It 
would  seem,  after  ages  of  experience  and  evolution, 
that  man  should  be  able  at  last  to  build  a  sailing 
ship  superior  in  every  respect  to  every  other  sailing 
ship,  but  this  is  exactly  what  he  cannot  and  never 
has  been  able  to  accomplish.  A  true  sailor  loves  a 
fine  ship  and  all  her  foibles;  he  revels  in  the  hope 
that  if  he  takes  care  of  her  and  treats  her  fairly, 
she  will  not  fail  him  in  the  hour  of  danger,  and 
he  is  rarely  disappointed. 

While  all  this  is  true  in  the  abstract,  yet  it  i8 
not  difficult  to  account  for  the  performance  of  ships 
in  retrospect,  and  in  this  particular  matter,  the 
superior  speed  of  American  frigates  during  the  two 
wars  with  the  mother  country,  it  is  quite  easy  to 
do  so. 

In  the  first  place,  British  men-of-war  and  mer- 
chantmen were  at  that  time  built  with  massive  oak 
frames,  knees,  and  planking,  the  timber  of  which 
had  lain  at  dockyards  seasoning  in  salt  water  for 
many  years,  and  was  as  hard  and  almost  as  heavy 
as  iron,  while  they  were  fastened  with  w^eighty 
through-and-through  copper  bolts;  so  that  the  ships 
themselves  became  rigid,  dead  structures — sluggish 
in  moderate  winds,  and  in  gales  and  a  seaway,  wal- 
lowing brutes — whereas  the  American  frigates  and 
privateers  were  built  of  material  barely  seasoned 
in  the  sun  and  wind,  and  were  put  together  as 
lightly  as  possible  consistent  with  the  strength 
needed  to  carry  their  batteries  and  to  hold  on  to 
their  canvas  in  heavy  weather.  Also,  the  British 
ships  were  heavy  aloft — spars,  rigging,  and  blocks 
— yet  their  masts  and  yards  were  not  so  long  as 


American  Shipping  up  to  1812        ii 

those  of  the  American  ships,  nor  did  they  spread 
as  much  sail,  although  their  canvas  was  heavier 
and  had  the  picturesque  ^'  belly  to  hold  the  wind,'^ 
by  which,  when  close-hauled,  the  wind  held  the 
vessel. 

Then  the  British  men-of-war  were  commanded  by 
naval  officers  who  were  brave,  gallant  gentlemen, 
no  doubt,  but  whose  experience  at  sea  was  limited 
to  the  routine  of  naval  rules  formulated  by  other 
gentlemen  sitting  around  a  table  at  Whitehall.  The 
infraction  of  one  of  these  regulations  might  cost 
the  offender  his  epaulets  and  perhaps  his  life.  In 
this  respect  the  captains  of  the  American  Navy 
enjoyed  a  great  advantage,  for  at  this  early  period 
the  United  States  authorities  had  their  attention 
fully  occupied  in  preserving  the  government,  and 
had  no  time  to  devote  to  the  manufacture  of  red 
tape  with  which  to  bind  the  hands  and  tongues  of 
intelligent  seamen.  We  think,  and  rightly,  too,  of 
Paul  Jones,  Murray,  Barry,  Stewart,  Dale,  Hull, 
Bainbridge,  and  others,  as  heroes  of  the  navy,  yet 
it  is  well  for  us  sometimes  to  remember  that  all  of 
these  splendid  seamen  were  brought  up  and  most 
of  them  had  commanded  ships  in  the  merchant 
marine.  They  were  thus  accustomed  to  self- 
reliance,  and  were  filled  with  resource  and  expedi- 
ent; they  had  passed  through  the  rough  school  of 
adversity,  and  their  brains  and  nerves  were  sea- 
soned by  salted  winds,  the  ocean's  brine  mingling 
with  their  blood. 

What  wonder  then  that  the  American  frigates, 
so  built  and  so  commanded,  proved  superior  in 
point   of  speed   to  the   British   men-of-war?      Less 


12  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

wonder  still  that  the  American  privateers,  whose 
men  in  the  forecastle  had  in  many  instances  com- 
manded ships,  should  sweep  the  seas,  until  the  de- 
spairing merchants  and  ship-owners  of  Great  Bri- 
tain, a  nation  whose  flag  had  for  a  thousand  years 
"  braved  the  battle  and  the  breeze "  and  which 
boasted  proudly  and  justly  that  her  home  was  upon 
the  sea,  compelled  their  government  to  acknowledge 
as  political  equals  a  people  who  had  proved  them- 
selves superior  upon  the  ocean. 

So  in  the  struggle  for  a  national  existence  and 
rights  as  a  nation,  the  foundations  of  the  maritime 
power  of  the  United  States  were  laid.  The  ship- 
builders and  the  seamen  of  the  Revolution  and  the 
War  of  1812  were  the  forefathers  of  the  men  who 
built  and  commanded  the  American  clipper  ships. 

After  the  Revolutionary  War  the  merchants  of 
Salem,  Boston,  New  York,  and  Philadelphia  vied 
with  each  other  in  sending  their  ships  upon  dis- 
tant and  hazardous  voyages.  Notwithstanding  the 
natural  difficulties  of  navigating,  what  to  their 
captains  were  unknown  seas,  and  the  unnatural  ob- 
stacles invented  by  man  in  the  form  of  obstructive 
laws,  the  merchant  marine  of  the  United  States 
steadily  increased  not  only  in  bulk,  but  what  was 
of  far  more  importance,  in  the  high  standard  of 
the  men  and  ships  engaged  in  it. 

Salem  took  the  lead,  with  her  great  merchant, 
Elias  Hasket  Derby,  who  sent  his  barque  Light 
Horse  to  St.  Petersburg  in  1784,  and  soon  after  sent 
the  Grand  Turk  first  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and 
then  to  China.  In  1789,  the  Atlantic,  commanded 
by  his  son,  Elias  Hasket  Derby,  Jr.,  was  the  first 


American  Shipping  up  to  1812       13 

ship  to  hoist  the  Stars  and  Stripes  at  Calcutta  and 
Bombay,  and  she  was  soon  followed  by  the  Peggy, 
another  of  the  Derby  ships,  which  brought  the  first 
cargo  of  Bombay  cotton  into  Massachusetts  Bay. 
Mr.  Derby  owned  a  fleet  of  forty  vessels,  and  upon 
his  death  in  1799  left  an  estate  valued  at  more 
than  11,000,000,  the  largest  fortune  at  that  time  in 
America,  as  well  as  a  name  honored  for  integrity 
throughout  the  mercantile  world.  William  Gray, 
another  famous  Salem  merchant,  owned  in  1807 
fifteen  ships,  seven  barques,  thirteen  brigs,  and  one 
schooner,  his  fleet  representing  one  quarter  of  the 
total  tonnage  of  Salem  at  that  time.  Then  there 
were  Joseph  Peabody,  Benjamin  Pickman,  and 
Jacob  Crowninshield,  all  ship-owners  who  contri- 
buted to  the  fame  of  this  beautiful  New  England 
seaport. 

Many  of  the  merchants  had  been  sea-captains  in 
their  youth,  and  it  was  the  captains  who  really 
made  Salem  famous.  These  men,  from  the  train- 
ing of  the  New  England  schoolroom  and  meeting- 
house, went  out  into  the  world  and  gathered  there 
the  fruits  of  centuries  of  civilization,  which  they 
brought  home  to  soften  the  narrow  self-righteous- 
ness of  their  fellow-citizens.  In  later  years  these 
captains  carried  missionaries  to  India,  China,  and 
Africa,  unconscious  that  they  were  themselves  the 
real  missionaries,  whose  influence  had  wrought  so 
desirable  a  change  in  New  England  thought  and 
character.  When  Nathaniel  Hawthorne  served  in 
the  Custom  House  at  Salem,  the  friends  in  whom 
he  most  delighted  were  sea-captains,  for  it  was 
through   their   eyes   that   he   looked   out   upon   the 


14  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

great  world,  and  gathered  the  knowledge  of  human 
nature  that  enabled  him  to  portray  in  such  grim 
reality  the  hidden  springs  of  human  thought  and 
action.  These  captains  were  the  sons  of  gentle- 
men, and  were  as  a  class  the  best  educated  men 
of  their  time  in  the  United  States,  for  they  could 
do  more  important  and  difficult  things,  and  do  them 
well,  than  the  men  of  any  other  profession.  The 
old  East  India  Museum  at  Salem  is  a  monument  to 
their  taste  and  refinement.  Nowhere  else,  perhaps, 
can  be  found  another  little  museum  as  unique  and 
beautiful,  of  treasures  brought  home  one  by  one 
from  distant  lands  and  seas  by  the  hands  that  gave 
them. 

Boston,  too,  had  her  ships  and  seamen.  From 
that  port  were  sent  out  in  1788  the  Columbia^  a 
ship  of  two  hundred  and  thirteen  tons,  and  the 
sloop  Washington^  of  ninety  tons,  commanded  by 
Captains  John  Kendrick  and  Robert  Gray,  who  took 
them  round  Cape  Horn  to  the  northwest  coast  of 
America,  and  then  after  trading  for  cargoes  of 
furs,  went  across  to  China.  The  Columhia  returned 
to  Boston  by  way  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and 
was  the  first  vessel  to  carry  the  United  States  en- 
sign round  the  globe.  Subsequently  she  discovered 
the  majestic  river  that  bears  her  name,  and  so  won 
the  great  Northwest  for  the  flag  under  which  she 
sailed.  The  Massachusetts,  of  six  hundred  tons,  the 
largest  merchant  vessel  built  in  America  up  to  her 
time,  was  launched  at  Quincy  in  1789  and  was 
owned  in  Boston.  She  sailed  for  Canton  and  was 
sold  there  to  the  Danish  East  India  Company  for 
165,000. 


American  Shipping  up  to  1812       15 

Ezra  Western  was  the  most  famous  of  the  old 
time  Boston  ship-owners.  He  began  business  in 
1764,  and  owned  his  own  shipyard,  sail-loft,  and 
extensive  rope-walk  at  Duxbury,  Massachusetts, 
where  his  vessels  were  built  and  equipped.  In 
1798  his  son  Ezra  became  a  partner,  and  this  firm 
continued  until  the  death  of  the  father  in  1822. 
The  son  Ezra  then  went  on  in  his  own  name  until 
1842,  when  his  sons  Gersham,  Alden,  and  Ezra, 
were  taken  into  the  firm,  and  they  continued  it 
until  1858,  in  all  some  ninety-three  years,  the  last 
place  of  business  being  Nos.  37  and  38,  Commercial 
Wharf.  From  the  year  1800  to  1846  the  Westerns 
owned  twenty-one  ships,  ranging  in  tonnage  from 
the  Hope,  of  880  tons,  to  the  Minerva,  of  250  tons ; 
one  barque,  the  Pallas,  of  209  tons;  thirty  brigs, 
from  the  Two  Friends,  of  240  tons,  to  the  Federal 
Eagle,  of  120  tons;  thirty-five  schooners,  from  the 
m.  Michael,  of  132  tons,  to  the  ^tar,  of  20  tons; 
and  ten  sloops,  from  the  Union,  of  63  tons,  to 
the  Linnet,  of  50  tons.  The  brig  Smyrna,  one  of  the 
Western  fleet,  built  in  1825,  of  160  tons,  was  the. 
first  American  vessel  to  bear  the  flag  of  the  United 
States  into  the  Black  Sea  after  it  was  opened  to 
commerce.  She  arrived  at  Odessa  July  17,  1830. 
The  Westerns  were  easily  the  largest  ship-owners 
of  their  time  in  the  United  States,  and  not  only 
built  but  loaded  their  own  vessels.  Their  house- 
flag  was  red,  white,  and  blue  horizontal  stripes. 

In  the  year  1791,  Stephen  Girard,  who  was  born 
near  Bordeaux  in  1750  and  had  risen  from  cabin-, 
boy  to  be  captain  of  his  own  vessel,  built  four 
beautiful  ships  at  Philadelphia  for  the  China  and 


i6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

India  trade — the  Helvetia,  Montesquieu,  Rousseau, 
and  Voltaire,  These  vessels,  long  the  pride  of 
Philadelphia,  greatly  enriched  their  owner. 

The  sloop  Enterprise,  of  eighty  tons,  built  at 
Albany  and  commanded  by  Captain  Stewart  Dean, 
was  sent  from  New  York  to  China  in  1785.  This 
was  the  first  vessel  to  make  the  direct  voyage  from 
the  United  States  to  Canton.  She  returned  during 
the  following  year  with  her  crew  of  seven  men  and 
two  boys  all  in  excellent  condition.  When  she 
warped  alongside  the  wharf  at  New  York,  Captain 
Dean  and  his  crew  were  in  full  uniform,  and  the 
scene,  which  was  witnessed  by  an  admiring  throng, 
was  enlivened  by  "  martial  music  and  the  boat- 
swain's whistle." 

Thomas  Cheesman  was  one  of  the  first  ship- 
builders in  New  York,  and  he  was  succeeded  in 
business,  before  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
by  his  son  Forman,  born  in  1763.  The  latter  built 
the  forty-four-gun  frigate  President,  launched  in  the 
year  1800  at  Corlear's  Hook — by  far  the  largest 
vessel  built  in  New  York  up  to  that  time.  Pre- 
vious to  this,  however,  he  had  built  the  Briganza 
and  the  Draper,  each  of  three  hundred  tons,  and  the 
Ontario,  of  five  hundred  tons.  Thomas  Vail,  Wil- 
liam Vincent,  and  Samuel  Ackley  also  built  several 
vessels  prior  to  the  year  1800.  The  ships  Eugene, 
Severn,  Manhattan,  Sampson,  Echo,  Hercules,  Re- 
source, York,  and  Oliver  Ellsivorth  w^ere  launched 
from  their  yards.  In  1804  the  Oliver  Ellsworth^ 
built  by  Vail  &  Vincent  and  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Bennett,  made  the  passage  from  New  York  to 
Liverpool   in   fourteen   days,   notwithstanding  that 


American  Shipping  up  to  1812        17 

she    carried    away    her    foretopmast,    which    was 
replaced  at  sea. 

All  of  these  shipyards  were  below  Grand  Street, 
on  the  East  River.  Samuel  Ackley's  yard  was  at 
the  foot  of  Pelham  Street,  and  here  the  Manhattan, 
of  six  hundred  tons,  was  built  for  the  China  and 
East  India  trade.  She  was  regarded  as  a  monster 
of  the  deep,  and  when  she  sailed  upon  her  first  voy- 
age in  1796,  it  took  nearly  all  the  deep  water  sea- 
men in  the  port  to  man  her.  Henry  Eckford  opened 
a  shipyard  at  the  foot  of  Clinton  Street  in  1802. 
From  this  yard  he  launched,  in  1803,  John  Jacob 
Astor's  famous  ship  Beaver,  of  four  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  tons.  It  was  on  board  this  ship  that 
Captain  Augustus  De  Peyster  made  his  first  voy- 
age as  a  boy  before  the  mast.  Subsequently  he 
commanded  her,  and  upon  retiring  from  the  sea 
in  1845  he  became  the  Governor  of  the  Sailors' 
Snug  Harbor  at  Staten  Island.  The  Beaver  once 
made  the  homeward  run  from  Canton  to  Bermuda 
in  seventy-five  days.  Christian  Bergh  began  ship- 
building in  1804  with  the  ship  Worth  America,  of 
four  hundred  tons,  built  for  the  Atlantic  trade,  and 
the  brig  Qipsey,  of  three  hundred  tons,  a  very  sharp 
vessel  for  those  days.  She  was  dismasted  off  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  upon  her  first  voyage  to  Ba- 
tavia,  and  afterwards  foundered  in  a  heavy  squall, 
all  hands  being  lost.  The  Trident,  of  three  hundred 
and  fifty  tons,  was  built  by  Adam  and  Noah  Brown 
in  180.5,  and  the  Triton,  of  three  hundred  and  fifty 
tons,  by  Charles  Brown  during  the  same  year,  both 
for  the  China  and  India  trade.  John  Floyd  began 
ship-building  in  1807,  and  launched  the  Carmelite, 
2 


i8  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

a  ship  of  four  hundred  tons,  during  that  year,  but 
was  soon  appointed  naval  constructor  at  the 
Brooklyn  Navy  Yard. 

Until  1794  ships  had  been  built  from  skeleton 
models  composed  of  pieces  that  showed  the  frames, 
keel,  stem,  and  stern  post,  but  were  of  little  use 
in  giving  an  accurate  idea  of  the  form  of  a  vessel, 
while  it  required  much  time  and  labor  to  transfer 
the  lines  of  the  model  to  the  mould  loft.  In  this 
year,  however,  Orlando  Merrill,  a  young  ship- 
builder of  Newburyport,  at  that  time  thirty-one 
years  old,  invented  the  water-line  model,  which  was 
composed  of  lifts  joined  together,  originally  by 
dowels  and  later  by  screws.  These  could  be  taken 
apart  and  the  sheer,  body,  and  half-breadth  plans 
easily  transferred  to  paper,  from  which  the  working 
plans  were  laid  down  in  the  mould  loft.  This  in- 
genious though  simple  invention,  for  which,  by  the 
way,  Mr.  Merrill  never  received  any  pecuniary  re- 
ward, revolutionized  the  science  of  ship-building. 
The  original  model  made  by  him  in  1794  was  pre- 
sented to  the  New  York  Historical  Society  in 
1853.  Mr.  Merrill  died  in  1855  at  the  age  of 
ninety-two. 


CHAPTER  II 

BRITISH    SHIPPING    AFTER    1815 THE    EAST    INDIA 

COMPANY 

GREAT  BRITAIN  and  the  United  States  signed 
a  treaty  of  peace  and  good-will  at  Ghent  in 
1814.  During  the  following  year  the  wars  of  Eng- 
land and  France  ended  on  the  field  of  Waterloo. 
And  so  at  last  the  battle  flags  were  furled.  The 
long-continued  wars  of  England  had,  through  neg- 
lect, reduced  her  merchant  marine  to  a  low  stand- 
ard of  efficiency,  and  both  men  and  ships  were  in 
a  deplorable  condition.  There  was  no  government 
supervision  over  British  merchant  shipping  except 
taxation,  the  only  check,  and  that  but  partially 
effective,  being  the  Underwriters  at  Lloyd's.  Un- 
scrupulous ship-owners  might  and  often  did  send 
rotten,  unseaworthy  vessels  to  sea,  poorly  provi- 
sioned, short  of  gear  and  stores,  with  captains, 
mates,  and  crews  picked  up  from  low  taverns  along 
the  docks.  These  vessels  were  fully  covered  by 
insurance  at  high  rates  of  premium,  with  the  hope, 
frequently  realized,  that  they  would  never  be  heard 
from  again. 

The  "  skippers,"  "  maties,"  and  "  jackies  "  alike 
belonged  to  the  lowest  stratum  of  British  social 
classification,   which,    according   to   the   chronicles 

19 


20  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

of  those  days,  was  pretty  low.  They  were  coarse, 
vulgar,  ignorant  men,  full  of  lurid  oaths;  their  per- 
sons emitted  an  unpleasant  odor  of  cheap  rum  and 
stale  tobacco;  they  had  a  jargon  of  their  own  and 
were  so  illiterate  as  to  be  unable  to  speak  or  .write 
their  own  language  with  any  degree  of  correctness. 
In  a  certain  sense  the  captains  were  good  sailors, 
but  their  knowledge  and  ambition  were  limited  to 
dead  reckoning,  the  tar  bucket  and  marlinspike, 
a  wife  in  every  port,  and  plenty  of  rum  and 
tobacco  with  no  desire  or  ability  to  master  the 
higher  branches  of  navigation  and  seamanship. 
Mariners  that  a  landsman  delights  to  refer  to  as 
*'  real  old  salts,"  of  the  Captain  Cuttle  and  Jack 
Bunsby  species,  are  amusing  enough,  perhaps,  in 
the  hands  of  a  skilful  novelist,  but  not  at  all  the 
class  of  men  that  one  would  willingly  select  to 
assist  in  carrying  forward  the  commerce  of  a  great 
maritime  nation. 

Then  the  stupid  and  obsolete  Tonnage  Laws  en- 
couraged and  almost  compelled  an  undesirable  type 
of  vessels,  narrow,  deep,  flat-sided,  and  full-bottomed 
— bad  vessels  in  a  seaway,  slow,  and  often  requiring 
a  considerable  quantity  of  ballast,  even  when  loaded, 
to  keep  them  from  rolling  over. 

It  is,  of  course,  always  hazardous  to  deal  in  gen- 
eralities, but  I  think  that  this  may  be  accepted  as 
a  fair  description  of  the  merchant  marine  of  Great 
Britain  up  to  1834,  when  the  Underwriters  at 
Lloyd's  and  the  better  class  of  ship-owners  founded 
Lloyd's  Register  of  Shipping,  to  provide  for  the 
proper  survey  and  classification  of  the  merchant 
ships  of  Great  Britain.     This  first  important  step 


British  Shipping  after  1815  21 

in  a  much  needed  reform  was  followed  in  1837  by 
the  appointment  of  a  committee  by  Parliament  to 
investigate  the  general  ccmdition  of  shipping  en- 
gaged in  foreign  trade.  The  committee  reported  as 
follows : 

"  The  American  ships  frequenting  the  ports  of 
England  are  stated  by  several  witnesses  to  be  su- 
perior to  those  of  a  similar  class  amongst  the  ships 
of  Great  Britain,  the  commanders  and  officers  being 
generally  considered  to  be  more  competent  as  sea- 
men and  navigators,  and  more  uniformly  persoi>s 
of  education,  than  the  commanders  and  officers  of 
British  ships  of  a  similar  size  and  class  trading 
from  England  to  America,  while  the  seamen  of  the 
United  States  are  considered  to  be  more  carefully 
selected,  and  more  efficient.  American  ships  sail- 
ing from  Liverpool  to  New  York  have  a  preference 
over  English  vessels  sailing  to  the  same  port,  both 
as  to  freight  and  the  rate  of  insurance;  and,  the 
higher  wages  being  given,  their  whole  equipment  is 
maintained  in  a  higher  state  of  perfection,  so  that 
fewer  losses  occur;  and  as  the  American  shipping 
having  increased  of  late  years  in  the  proportion  to 
12%%  per  annum,  while  the  British  shipping  have 
increased  within  the  same  period  only  11/2%  per 
annum,  the  constantly  increasing  demand  for  sea- 
men by  the  rapidly  growing  maritime  commerce  of 
the  whole  world,  the  numbers  cut  off  by  shipwrecks, 
and  the  temptations  offered  by  the  superior  wages 
of  American  vessels,  cause  a  large  number  of  Brit- 
ish seamen  every  year  to  leave  the  service  of  their 
own  country,  and  to  embark  in  that  of  the  United 
States;  and  these  comprising  chiefly  the  most  skil- 


22  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

ful  and  competent  of  our  mariners,  produce  the 
double  effect  of  improving  the  efficiency  of  the 
American  crews,  and  in  the  same  ratio  diminish- 
ing the  efficiency  of  the  British  merchant  service." 

In  1843  a  circular  was  issued  from  the  Foreign 
Office  to  all  British  consuls  requesting  information 
on  the  conduct  and  character  of  British  shipmasters, 
especially  with  regard  to  the  "  incompetence  of 
British  shipmasters  to  manage  their  vessels  and 
crewSj  whether  arising  from  deficiency  of  know- 
ledge in  practical  navigation  and  seamanship,  or 
of  moral  character,  particularly  want  of  sobriety." 
The  consular  reports  revealed  a  startling  condition 
of  affairs,  requiring  immediate  attention,  and  led 
to  the  establishment  in  1847,  of  the  Marine  Depart- 
ment of  the  Board  of  Trade,  with  authority  to 
supervise  maritime  affairs.  From  such  unpromis- 
ing material  the  formation  was  begun  of  the  great- 
est merchant  marine  that  has  ever  existed. 

Meanwhile,  one  of  the  most  important  branches 
of  British  commerce,  the  East  India  trade,  had  been 
following  an  independent  career,  for  the  ships  of 
the  East  India  Company,  although  engaged  in  com- 
mercial pursuits,  were  under  the  direct  patronage 
of  the  government,  and  cannot  be  regarded  as  form- 
ing part  of  the  merchant  marine  of  Great  Britain. 
Yet  as  this  Company  had  an  important  bearing  upon 
the  mercantile  affairs  of  the  nation,  I  propose  to 
review  as  briefly  as  possible  some  of  its  remarkable 
exploits. 

"  The  United  Company  of  Merchant  Venturers  of 
England  trading  to  the  East  Indies  "  was  familiarly 
known  as  the  "  John  Company,"  and  among  those 


The  East  India  Company  23 

endowed  with  a  larger  bump  of  reverence,  as  the 
"  Honorable  John  Company " ;  but  by  whatever 
name  it  may  be  called,  this  was  the  most  gigantic 
commercial  monopoly  the  world  has  ever  known, 
since  the  days  when  the  merchants  of  Tyre  claimed 
the  exclusive  right  to  send  their  ships  across  certain 
w^aters  known  by  common  consent  as  Tyrian  Seas. 

The  East  India  Company  was  founded  in  the 
year  1600,  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth. 
The  subscribed  capital  of  £72,000  was  expended  on 
the  first  voyage  in  five  vessels  with  their  cargoes. 
This  fleet  consisted  of  the  Dragon,  of  600  tons,  her 
commander  receiving  the  title  of  Admiral  of  the 
squadron;  the  Hector^  300  tons,  with  a  Vice- Ad- 
miral in  command ;  two  vessels  of  200  tons  each ; 
and  the  Guest,  a  store  ship  of  130  tons.  Four  hun- 
dred and  eighty  men  were  employed  in  the  expedi- 
tion, including  twenty  merchants  as  supercargoes. 
The  vessels  were  all  heavily  armed  and  were 
provided  with  small  arms  and  an  abundance  of 
ammunition.  They  cost,  with  their  equipment, 
£45,000,  and  their  cargoes  £27,000. 

Friendly  relations  were  formed  with  the  King  of 
Achin,  in  Sumatra,  and  a  station,  known  in  those 
days  and  long  afterward  as  a  '^  factory,"  was  es- 
tablished at  Bantam,  in  Java.  The  fleet  returned 
to  England  richly  laden  with  silks  and  spices 
in  1603.  In  1609  the  Trades  Increase,  of  1200  tons, 
the  largest  ship  launched  in  England  up  to  that 
time,  was  built,  but  she  was  wrecked  and  became  a 
total  loss  on  her  first  voyage.  Sir  Henry  Middle- 
ton,  her  commander,  died  soon  after.  This  was  an 
unfortunate  expedition  and  resulted  in  heavy  losses 


24  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

to  the  Company,  but  in  1611  the  Glohe  cleared  218%, 
and  in  the  following  year  the  Glole,  Thomas,  and 
Hector  turned  over  profits  amounting  to  340%  upon 
the  capital  invested.  Other  successful  voyages  fol- 
lowed, so  that  in  1617  the  stock  of  the  Company 
reached  a  premium  of  203%. 

The  East  India  Company  had  its  troubles,  to  be 
sure,  which  were  many  and  great,  yet  it  increased 
in  power,  wealth,  and  strength,  until  at  the  close 
of  the  eighteenth  century  it  had  become  possessed 
of  a  large  portion  of  the  continent  of  India,  main- 
taining its  own  armies,  forts,  palaces.  Courts  of 
Directors,  Boards  of  Council,  Governors,  and  Ty- 
peans.i  Eventually,  this  Company  became  the  ruler 
of  more  than  one  hundred  million  human  beings, 
not  naked  savages,  but  civilized  men  and  women, 
many  of  whose  ancestors  had  been  learned  scholars 
and  merchant  princes  long  prior  to  the  invasion  of 
Britain  by  the  Roman,  Dane,  and  Saxon. 

It  is  not,  however,  with  the  political  affairs  of 
this  Company  that  I  wish  to  deal,  but  rather  with 
the  ships  and  the  men  who  navigated  them.  The 
princely  emoluments  known  as  "  indulgences "  in 
which  the  captains  and  officers  of  these  ships  parti- 
cipated, naturally  attracted  the  attention  of  parents 
and  guardians,  so  that  younger  sons,  otherwise  des- 
tined for  a  life  of  ill-requited  repose  in  the  church, 
the  Army,  or  the  Navy,  found  lucrative  service  with 
the  East  India  Company.  These  perquisites,  which 
were  handed  out  by   the   Honorable  Court  of  Di- 

1  A  typean  was  the  head  merchant  of  one  of  the  Com- 
pany's "  factories "  or  mercantile  houses,  such  as  were 
later  known  in  China  as  "  hongs." 


The  East  India  Company  25 

rectors,  were  no  doubt  intended  to  be  of  pleasing 
variety  and  magnitude.  The  Company  adhered 
strictly  to  promotion  by  seniority  as  vacancies  oc- 
curred, from  ship  to  ship  when  necessary.  Captains 
were  appointed  to  their  ships  before  launching,  in 
order  that  they  might  superintend  their  equipment 
and  get  them  ready  for  sea.  Midshipmen  were  ap- 
pointed by  the  Court  of  Directors,  and  no  youth 
of  less  than  thirteen  or  over  eighteen  years  was 
eligible.  Second  mates  were  required  to  be  at  least 
twenty-two,  chief  mates  twenty-three,  and  com- 
manders twenty-five  years  of  age. 

Captains  were  entitled  to  fifty-six  and  one  half 
tons  of  space  on  board  the  ships  commanded  by 
them,  which  they  might  use  at  their  discretion, 
either  to  collect  the  freight  or  to  carry  cargo  on 
their  own  account,  credit  being  furnished  by  the 
company  for  the  latter  purpose  at  the  usual  in- 
terest. The  rate  of  freight  ranged  from  £35  to  £40 
per  ton,  though  in  1796  the  Admiral  Gardner,  a 
ship  of  813  tons,  commanded  by  John  Woolmore, 
Esq.,  was  chartered  for  "  six  voyages  certain " 
from  London  to  India  and  return,  at  £50  for  every 
ton  of  cargo  carried.  Even  at  the  lowest  rate  of 
£35  per  ton,  the  voyage  out  and  home  of  about 
eighteen  months  yielded  a  captain  some  £3955,  and 
if  he  carried  goods  on  his  own  account,  as  was 
usually  the  case,  he  realized  a  much  larger  sum. 
Captains  were  also  allowed  primage,  which  was  a 
percentage  upon  the  total  gross  freight  earned  by 
the  ship,  and  the  passage  money  for  passengers  car- 
ried, except  the  Company's  troops,  less  the  cost  of 
living.     Considering  that  the  passage  money  to  or 


26  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

from  India  or  China  was  for  a  subaltern  £95,  and 
for  a  general  officer  £234,  to  say  nothing  of  di- 
rectors and  governors  and  their  families,  and  that 
these  ships  usually  carried  from  twenty  to  thirty 
passengers,  we  may  conclude  that  this  also  was  a 
considerable  source  of  revenue. 

Then  captains  were  permitted  to  own  the  dunnage 
used  for  the  protection  of  homeward  cargoes,  which 
they  supplied  in  the  form  of  stone  and  chinaware, 
canes,  bamboos,  rattans,  sapan-wood,  horns,  nankins, 
etc.  All  of  these  goods  might  in  those  days  be 
bought  at  very  low  prices  in  India  and  China,  and 
under  the  monopoly  of  the  East  India  Company, 
they  sold  at  very  high  prices  in  London.  Most  of 
this  "  dunnage,"  however,  came  to  the  captains  in 
the  form  of  presents,  known  in  the  fragrant  lan- 
guage of  the  Far  East  as  ^'  cumshaws,'^  from  ad- 
miring Indian  and  Chinese  merchants. 

Naturally  all  of  the  cargoes  were  well  dunnaged, 
so  much  so,  indeed,  as  finally  to  attract  the  at- 
tention of  the  benevolent  Court  of  Directors,  who 
deemed  it  expedient  to  restrain  the  zeal  of  their 
captains  in  this  direction  by  issuing  an  order  that 
"  as  dunnage  has  been  brought  home  in  the  Com- 
pany's ships  far  beyond  what  is  necessary  for  the 
protection  of  the  cargo  and  stores,  occupying  ton- 
nage to  the  exclusion  of  goods,  or  cumbering  the 
ship,  the  court  have  resolved  that  unless  what  is 
brought  home  of  those  articles  a'ppears  absolutely 
and  J)ona  fide  necessary  for  and  used  as  dunnage, 
the  exceeding  of  such  requisite  quantity  shall  be 
charged  against  the  tonnage  of  the  commanders  and 
officers."     This  dunnage  business  had  been  progress- 


The  East  India  Company  2"] 

ing  favorably  for  about  two  centuries  when  this 
mandate  was  issued,  and  had  enriched  many  a 
deserving  mariner.  It  was  estimated  that  an  India- 
man's  captain  received  in  one  way  or  another  from 
£0000  to  £10,000  per  annum,  and  there  is  a  record 
of  one  ship  that  made  what  was  known  as  a  double 
voyage — that  is,  from  London  to  India,  China,  and 
return — a  twenty-two  months'  cruise — whose  com- 
mander made  profits  amounting  to  the  tidy  sum  of 
£30,000. 

The  mates  and  petty  officers  were  also  well  pro- 
vided for,  having  forty  and  one  half  tons  of  space 
allotted  among  them  to  do  with  as  they  pleased, 
and  all  hands  were  supplied  with  wines,  spirits,  and 
beer  in  quantities  which  if  stated  might  seem  like 
an  attempt  to  impose  upon  the  reader's  credulity. 
.  A  more  showy  if  less  substantial  honor  was  con- 
ferred by  the  distinctive  dress  of  the  company's 
servants.  The  captains  were  arrayed  in  a  pic- 
turesque uniform  consisting  of  a  blue  coat  with 
black  velvet  lapels,  cuffs  and  collar,  bright  gold 
embroidery,  and  yellow  gilt  buttons  engraved  with 
the  Company's  crest,  waistcoat  and  breeches  of 
deep  buff,  black  stock,  or  neck-cloth,  cocked  hat  and 
side-arms.  The  chief,  second,  third,  and  fourth 
officers  wore  uniforms  of  a  similar  though  less  gor- 
geous character,  and  all  were  particularly  requested 
"  not  on  any  account  to  appear  in  boots,  black 
breeches,  and  stockings "  and  "  to  appear  in  full 
dress  when  attending  the  Court  of  Directors." 

The  charter  of  the  East  India  Company  provided 
that  its  ships  should  fly  the  long  coach-whip  pen- 
nant of  the  Royal  Navy.     During  the  last  quarter 


28  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

of  the  eighteenth  and  first  part  of  the  nineteenth 
centuries,  the  ships  were  built,  rigged,  equipped, 
armed,  manned,  and  handled  like  the  frigates  of 
the  Royal  Navy,  though  they  were  beautifully  and 
luxuriously  fitted  for  passengers,  many  of  whom 
were  personages  of  high  social  and  official  rank. 
They  differed,  however,  from  the  frigates  in  one 
important  particular.  Whereas,  the  navy  con- 
structors, as  we  have  seen,  profited  by  the  models 
of  the  French  frigates,  the  builders  of  the  Indiamen 
kept  to  the  full-bodied,  kettle-bottomed  model,  in 
order  that  these  ships  might  carry  large  cargoes. 
They  were  of  quite  as  bad  a  type  as  the  ships  of 
the  more  humble  merchant  marine.  I  have  before 
me  the  particulars  of  one  of  the  East  India  Com- 
pany's ships  that  carried  four  hundred  and  nineteen 
tons  of  general  cargo,  and  required  eighty  tons  of 
iron  kentledge  to  keep  her  on  her  legs.  They  were 
nevertheless  grand,  stately-looking  ships,  and  were 
well  cared  for. 

The  crews  were  divided  into  the  usual  two 
watches,  but  the  officers  had  three  watches,  four 
hours  on  and  eight  hours  off.  The  watches  were 
divided  into  messes  of  eight  men  each,  who  had  a 
space  allotted  to  them  between  the  guns  in  the 
between-decks.  Here  their  hammocks  were  slung  and 
their  chests,  mess-kids,  copper  pots,  kettles,  and  tin 
pannikins  w^ere  stowed,  clean  and  bright,  under  the 
inspection  of  the  commander  and  the  surgeon,  who 
were  assisted  in  their  duties  by  wearing  white  gloves 
with  which  to  test  the  appearance  of  cleanliness. 
The  crews  slept  in  hammocks  which  were  stowed  in 
nettings  at  seven  bells  in   the  morning  watch,  to 


The  East  India  Company  29 

the  pipe  of  the  boatswain's  whistle.  The  decks  were 
washed  and  holystoned  in  the  morning  watch,  and 
at  eight  bells  all  hands  breakfasted.  On  Wednes- 
days and  Saturdays,  the  between-decks  were  turned 
out,  washed,  and  holystoned.  On  Sunday  morn- 
ings the  crew  was  mustered  and  inspected  by  the 
chief  officer,  and  then  assembled  for  Divine  service, 
which  was  read  by  the  commander,  as  the  Court 
of  Directors  required  the  captains  ^^  to  keep  up  the 
worship  of  Almighty  God,  under  a  penalty  of  two 
guineas  for  every  omission  not  satisfactorily  ac- 
counted for  in  the  log-book." 

The  crews  were  drilled  at  the  guns  and  with  cut- 
lass, musket,  and  boarding-pikes,  and  other  small 
arms.  Courts-martial  were  held  on  board  and  the 
rawhide  cat-o'-nine-tails  w^as  freely  used  by  the 
boatswain  upon  the  naked  backs  and  shoulders  of 
triced-up  seamen — one,  two,  three  dozen,  perhaps, 
with  a  bucket  of  salt  water  to  rinse  off  the  blood. 
This  was  not  so  brutal  a  form  of  punishment  as 
may  perhaps  appear  to  landsmen,  and  was  probably 
the  best  method  of  enforcing  proper  discipline 
among  the  reckless  men  who  for  the  most  part 
formed  the  crews  of  ships  at  that  period. 

These  vessels  carried  large  crews,  whose  work  was 
easy  and  who  were  well  looked  after  and  provided 
for.  They  had  plenty  of  the  best  food  and  quite 
as  much  rum  as  was  good  for  them.  In  the  dog- 
watches they  were  allowed  and  even  encouraged  to 
enjoy  themselves  in  the  manner  known  on  board 
ship  as  ^'  skylark  in  g.'^  Saturdays  they  had  to  them- 
selves to  wash  and  mend  their  clothes,  and  in  the 
dog-watches  of  that  day  they  were  given  an  extra 


30  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

allowance  of  grog,  with  which  to  drink  long  life  and 
happiness  to  sweethearts  and  wives,  with  music, 
dance,  and  song.  Seamen  who  had  served  eight 
years  in  the  Company's  ships  were  entitled  to  liberal 
pensions,  as  were  also  the  wives  and  children  of 
those  who  had  been  killed  in  the  service  of  the 
Company,  or  who  had  been  so  maimed  or  wounded 
as  to  be  unable  to  perform  further  service.  There 
can  be  no  question  that  the  directors  of  the  East 
India  Company  took  good  care  of  those  who  served 
them  faithfully. 

The  East  Indiamen  were  always  fine,  strong  ships, 
built  of  oak,  elm,  and  teak,  copper-fastened  through- 
out, their  cost  being  £40  per  ton  ready  for  sea;  but 
they  were  very  slow,  and  their  passages  were  reck- 
oned not  by  days  but  by  months.  Every  evening, 
no  matter  how  fine  the  weather,  royals  and  all 
light  sails  were  taken  in  and  stowed,  and  the  royal 
yards  sent  on  deck.  If  the  weather  looked  at  all 
as  if  it  might  become  threatening  during  the  night, 
the  topgallantsails  and  mainsail  were  stowed  and 
a  single  reef  put  in  the  topsails.  Safety  and  com- 
fort were  the  watchwords,  with  no  desire  or  effort 
for  speed.  No  one  ever  knew  how  fast  these  vessels 
really  could  sail,  as  they  never  had  any  one  on 
board  who  tried  to  get  the  best  speed  out  of  them, 
but  without  doubt  their  passages  might  have  been 
considerably  shortened  with  even  a  moderate 
amount  of  vigilance  and  energy.  All  we  know  is, 
how  slow  they  were.  Yet  these  ships  were  fought 
through  many  a  desperate  battle  upon  the  sea,  with 
foreign  men  of  war,  privateers,  and  other  foes,  and 
the  skill  and  valor  of  their  captains,  officers,  and 


The  East  India  Company  3i 

crews  shed  a  new  lustre  upon  the  ensign  under 
which  they  sailed.  Indeed,  the  maritime  records  of 
the  East  India  Company  read  more  like  a  naval 
history  than  the  annals  of  ships  engaged  in  com- 
mercial pursuits. 

In  some  respects  these  Indiamen  were  remarkable 
ships,  and  they  should,  like  men,  be  judged  by  the 
standards  of  the  times  in  which  they  existed.  They 
were  owned  by  a  company  which  for  more  than 
two  centuries  held  a  monopoly  of  the  British  China 
and  East  India  trade  without  the  spur  of  competi- 
tion urging  them  to  perfect  their  vessels  and  to 
exact  vigorous  service  from  the  officers  and  crews 
who  sailed  them.  Under  such  a  system  there  could 
be  no  marked  progress  in  naval  science.  It  would, 
of  course,  be  an  exaggeration  to  say  that  there  had 
been  no  improvement  in  British  shipping  from  the 
reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth  to  the  Victorian  era,  but 
it  was  so  gradual  as  to  be  perceptible  only  w^hen 
measured  by  centuries.  Thus  we  speak  of  the  ships 
of  the  sixteenth,  seventeenth,  and  eighteenth  cen- 
turies, and  upon  examination  are  surprised  to  find 
how  few  and  slight  were  the  improvements  made 
during  these  three  hundred  years  in  the  design  and 
construction  of  hulls  or  in  spars,  rigging,  and  sails. 
The  only  striking  improvement  was  a  modification 
of  the  really  beautiful  ornamentation  which  embel- 
lished and  at  the  same  time  lumbered  up  the  lofty 
hulls  of  the  earlier  ships. 

Some  of  the  Indiamen  were  built  in  Wigram's 
famous  yard  at  Blackwall  on  the  Thames,  which 
was  in  existence  for  more  than  two  centuries.  In- 
deed, some  of  the  first  ships  owned  by  the  East 


32  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

India  Company^  the  Dragon,  Susannali,  and  Mer- 
chants' Hope  were  launched  there.  During  the 
reigns  of  Elizabeth,  James,  Charles  I.,  Charles  II., 
and  the  Georges,  this  yard  turned  out  many  of  the 
ships  owned  in  the  Royal  Navy,  and  through  all 
these  years  it  had  in  time  of  need  been  a  faithful 
standby  of  the  British  Government.  Some  of  the 
ships  of  the  Company  were,  however,  built  in  other 
yards  and  in  their  own  building  establishment  at 
Bombay. 

During  the  years  1819  and  1820  the  Company 
sent  to  their  different  stations  in  Bengal,  Madras, 
Bombay,  China,  Ceylon,  and  Penang,  twenty-three 
of  their  o^vti  ships  aggregating  26,200  tons,  besides 
twenty-one  chartered  vessels  measuring  10,948  tons. 
Among  the  Company's  ships  w^ere  the  Canning,  Duke 
of  York,  Kellie  Castle^  Lady  Melville,  Thomas 
Coutts,  and  Waterloo,  built  by  Wigram,  and  all 
from  1325  to  1350  tons,  each  mounting  26  guns  with 
a  crew  of  130  men.  The  Buckinghamshire,  Earl  of 
Balcarras,  Herefordshire,  Thomas  Granville,  Min- 
erva, and  Charles  Grant,  all  from  923  to  1417  tons, 
26  guns,  and  130  men  with  the  exception  of  the 
Mine7^va  and  Thomas  Granville  which  mounted  the 
same  number  of  guns  but  had  115  and  107  men, 
respectively,  were  built  by  the  Company  at  Bom- 
bay. The  Asia,  Dorsetshire,  Dnneira,  Marquis  of 
Wellington,  Prince  Regent,  Princess  Amelia,  and 
Windsor,  which  were  all  over  1000  tons  and  mounted 
26  guns  with  crews  of  from  115  to  130  each,  were 
built  in  the  Barnard  yard,  also  on  the  Thames.  The 
London,  Loivther  Castle,  Marquis  of  Camden,  and 
Perseverance,  all  from  1329  to  1408  tons,  26  guns, 


The  East  India  Company  33 

and  130  men  each,  were  built  in  the  Pitcher  yard 
at  Northfleet  in  Kent.  The  Earl  of  Balcarras,  of 
1417  tons,  built  in  1815  at  Bombay,  was  the  largest 
ship  owned  by  the  Company.  She  was  built  of  In- 
dia teak,  copper-fastened  throughout,  and  mounted 
batteries  on  two  decks.  Her  crew  of  133  men  was 
made  up  as  follows:  Commander,  6  mates,  2  sur- 
geons, 6  midshipmen,  purser,  gunner,  carpenter, 
master-at-arms,  armour,  butcher,  baker,  poulterer, 
caulker,  cooper,  2  stewards,  2  cooks,  8  boatswains, 
gunner's,  carpenter's,  caulker's,  and  cooper's  mates, 
6  quartermasters,  sailmaker,  7  servants  for  the  com- 
mander and  officers,  and  78  seamen  before  the  mast. 
These  facts  illustrate  not  only  the  manner  in, 
which  the  ships  of  the  East  India  Company  were 
officered  and  manned,  but  also  the  extravagant 
scale  upon  which  the  affairs  of  the  Company  were 
administered.  Of  course,  a  gross  monopoly  like  this, 
legalized  though  it  was  by  Acts  of  Parliament,  could 
not  continue  indefinitely  among  a  free  and  intelligent 
people.  For  many  years  mutterings  of  discontent, 
gathering  in  force  and  volume,  had  been  heard  from 
all  parts  of  Great  Britain,  indicating  the  disap- 
proval of  the  people  concerning  the  methods  of  the 
Company.  At  last,  in  1832,  these  mutterings  burst 
into  a  storm  of  indignation  from  the  people  through 
their  representatives  in  Parliament,  which  swept 
the  frigates  of  the  Honorable  John  Company  off  the 
face  of  the  deep;  for  in  that  year  commerce  to  the 
Orient  was  throTVTi  open  to  all  British  ships,  and 
knowing  their  utter  inability  to  compete  success- 
fully with  free  and  intelligent  personal  energy,  the 
East    India    Company    condemned    or    sold    theic 


34  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

entire  fleet.  Sixteen  ships  were  broken  up  for  their 
massive  copper  fastenings  and  other  valuable  mate- 
rial, while  forty-six  were  sold,  and  no  finer  tribute 
can  be  offered  to  the  excellent  construction  of  these 
vessels  than  the  figures  which  they  realized  at  what 
may  justly  be  called  a  forced  sale. 

Naturally  these  ships  were  not  all  sold  at  the 
some  moment,  as  some  of  them  were  on  their  way 
to  China  and  India  when  the  crash  came;  in  fact, 
it  required  about  three  years  to  close  them  all  out; 
still,  it  was  well  known  that  the  Court  of  Directors 
had  decreed  that  they  must  all  be  sold,  and  this 
gave  bargain  hunters  a  chance  to  practise  their 
wiles.  At  first  two  or  three  of  the  ships  were  put 
up  at  public  auction ;  the  bids  were  few  and  meagre, 
indicating  an  assumed  and  perhaps  preconcerted 
apathy.  Negotiations  of  a  less  public  nature  en- 
sued, which  resulted  as  follows:  The  Buckinghanv- 
shire,  of  1369  tons,  then  eighteen  years  old,  was  sold 
to  Thacker  &  Mangels  for  £10,550.  The  Canning, 
1326  tons,  seventeen  years  old,  sold  for  breaking 
up  to  Joseph  Somes  at  £5750.  The  Minerva,  976 
tons,  eighteen  years  old,  ready  for  sea,  to  Henry 
Templer,  at  £11,800;  this  ship,  after  thirty-seven 
years  of  service  in  the  India  trade  was  wrecked  off 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  1850.  The  Earl  of  Bal- 
carras,  1417  tons,  nineteen  years  old,  to  Thomas 
A.  Shuter  for  £15,700;  this  ship  after  fifty-two  yearsV 
service,  became  a  receiving  hulk  on  the  west  coast 
of  Africa.  The  Bomhay,  1246  tons,  twenty-two 
years  old,  sold  to  Duncan  Dunbar  for  £11,000,  was 
wrecked  after  fifty-nine  years  of  service.  The 
Lowther  Castle,  1408  tons,  nineteen  years  old,  went 


The  East  India  Company  35 

to  Joseph  Somes  for  £13,950.  The  Waterloo,  1325 
tons,  eighteen  years  old,  was  sold  for  breaking  up 
at  £7200.  The  Thames,  1360  tons,  thirteen  years 
old,  went  to  James  Chrystall  at  £10,700.  The  re- 
maining ships  of  the  fleet  brought  equally  good 
prices.  Thus  ended  the  maritime  exploits  of  the 
"  United  Company  of  Merchant  Venturers  of  Eng- 
land trading  to  the  East  Indies";  although  its 
influence  upon  the  merchant  marine  of  Great 
Britain  continued  for  many  years. 

With  the  opening  of  the  China  and  India  trade 
to  all  British  ships,  there  came  the  long-wished  for 
competition — one  of  the  hinges  upon  which  com- 
merce swings — and  a  number  of  British  ship-owners, 
hardly  known  before,  now  came  into  prominence. 
Among  them  were  Green,  Wigram,  Dunbar,  and 
Somes,  of  London,  and  the  Smiths,  of  Newcastle. 
So  strongly  was  the  example  of  the  East  India 
Company  impressed  upon  their  minds  that  they  still 
continued  to  construct  frigate-built  ships,  though 
with  some  slight  effort  toward  economy  and  speed. 
Many  of  the  former  captains,  officers,  and  seamen 
of  the  East  India  Company  sailed  for  the  private 
firms,  and  so  the  personnel  of  the  British  merchant 
marine  was  much  benefited.  The  private  ships,  of 
course,  were  not  permitted  to  fly  the  naval  pennant, 
but  in  other  respects  the  service  remained  pretty 
nearly  the  same.  Much  of  the  wasteful  extrava- 
gance was  naturally  eliminated,  and  the  "  indul- 
gences "  were  substantially  reduced,  but  the 
time-honored  practice  of  "  making  snug  for  the 
night "  was  too  ancient  and  comfortable  a  custom 
to  be  very  speedily  abolished. 


36  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Joseph  Somes,  one  of  +^^  eiK,  or  i^loyd's 

Eegister,  bought  a  numl  ^.  the  Company's  old 
ships,  as  we  have  seen,  and  in  addition  he  built 
the  Maria  Somes,  Princess  Royal,  Sir  George  Sey- 
mour, and  Castle  Eden.  Thomas  and  William 
Smith,  of  Newcastle,  were  an  old  ship-building 
firm,  who  had  in  1808,  at  their  yard  in  St.  Peter's, 
constructed  the  frigate  Bucephalus,  970  tons,  52 
guns,  for  the  Royal  Navy,  while  in  later  years  they 
built  many  merchant  vessels.  The  finest  of  their 
new  ships  were  the  Marlhoroiigh  and  the  Blenheim, 
of  1350  tons  each,  built  under  special  government 
survey  and  granted  certificates  as  frigates  equipped 
for  naval  service.  This  firm  also  built  the  Olori- 
ana,  1057  tons,  Hotspur,  1142  tons,  and  St.  Law- 
rence, 1049  tons,  all  of  the  frigate  type,  though 
employed  as  merchantmen. 

Duncan  Dunbar  owned  a  number  of  fine  ships  and 
eventually  became  the  largest  ship-owner  of  his  time 
in  Great  Britain.  Many  of  his  vessels  were  built  in 
India.  The  Marion,  684  tons,  built  in  Calcutta  in 
1834,  was  in  active  service  until  1877,  when  she 
was  wrecked  on  the  Newfoundland  coast.  The 
David  Malcolm  was  built  in  1839,  and  the  Cressy, 
720  tons,  and  the  Hyderabad,  804  tons,  in  1843,  at 
Sunderland. 

Robert  Wigram  and  Richard  Green,  at  one  time 
partners,  built  and  owned  their  otsti  ships,  known 
as  the  "Blackwall  frigates."  In  1834-35,  they 
brought  out  the  Malatar,  Mo7iarch,  and  Windsor 
Castle,  and  subsequently  the  Carnatic,  Prince  of 
Wales,  Agamemnon,  Alfred,  and  others,  from  1200 
to  1400  tons  each.     As  late  as  1849  the  Alfred,  of 


o 
o 


The  East  India  Company  37 

only  1291  tons,  commanded  by  Captain  Henning, 
carried  a  crew  of  eighty  men,  which  included  five 
mates,  three  boatswains,  two  carpenters,  fonr 
quartermasters,  a  number  of  stewards  and  cooks, 
with  sixty  men  before  the  mast. 

These  were  the  last  of  the  frigate-built  ships;  for 
when  the  Navigation  Laws  were  repealed  in  1849, 
and  the  carrying  trade  of  Great  Britain  and  her 
colonies  was  thrown  open  to  all  nations,  the  British 
merchants  and  ship-builders  found  it  necessary  to 
construct  a  very  different  type  of  vessel  in  order 
to  compete  in  the  ocean  carrying  trade. 

Farewell,  then,  to  the  gallant  old  Indiaman,  with 
her  hammock  nettings,  bunt  jiggers,  rolling  tackles, 
jeers,  gammon  lashings,  bentinck  shrouds,  and  cat 
harpings,  dear  to  sailors'  hearts;  and  good-bye  to 
her  sailors,  too,  sons  of  the  men  who  fought  in  the 
victorious  fleets  of  Nelson,  fellows  who  drank  gun- 
powder in  their  rum  before  stripping  to  battle  with 
the  enemy,  who  could  stand  triced  up  by  the  thumbs 
and  take  their  four-and-twenty  of  rawhide  on  the 
naked  back  without  wetting  an  eyelash.  And  fare- 
well to  the  merry  dance  and  song,  the  extra  dram 
of  grog  in  the  dog-watch,  and  jovial  toasts  to 
sweethearts  and  wives,  as  the  sun  sinks  beneath 
the  blue  wave  and  the  cool  evening  trade  wind  fills 
the  sails. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE    NORTH    ATLANTIC    PACKET    SHIPS,    1815-1850 

WHILE  progress  in  ship-building  in  the  United 
States  had  been  constant  up  to  the  War 
of  1812,  American  ship-owners  and  builders  had  been 
much  hampered  by  the  interference  of  both  Great 
Britain  and  France,  but  in  1815,  when  the  smoke 
of  battle  had  cleared  away  and  the  rights  of  Ameri- 
can ships  and  seamen  had  been  established  upon 
the  sea,  ship-building  was  taken  up  with  renewed 
energy. 

The  famous  New  York-Liverpool  packets  came 
out  in  1816.  The  pioneer.  Black  Ball  Line,  estab- 
lished by  Isaac  Wright,  Francis  and  Jeremiah 
Thompson,  Benjamin  Marshall,  and  others,  led  the 
van  for  years.  The  original  ships  belonging  to  this 
line  were  the  Amity,  Courier,  Pacific,  and  James 
Monroe,  of  about  400  tons;  they  were  followed  by 
the  New  York,  Eagle,  OrMt,  Nestor,  James  Cropper, 
William  Thompson,  Albion,  Canada,  Britannia,  and 
Columbia,  vessels  of  from  300  to  500  tons  register. 
For  the  first  ten  years  the  passages  of  the  fleet 
averaged  23  days  outward  and  40  days  to  the  west- 
ward. The  fastest  outward  passage  was  made  by  the 
Canada  in  15  days,  18  hours,  and  her  total  averages 
— 19  days  outward  and  36  days  homeward — were 
the  best  of  that  period. 

38 


Packet  Ships,  1815-1850  39 

These  ships  were  all  flush  deck,  with  a  caboose 
or  galley  and  the  housed-over  long-boat  between  the 
fore-  and  main-masts.  The  long-boat,  which  was,  of 
course,  securely  lashed,  carried  the  live  stock, — 
pens  for  sheep  and  pigs  in  the  bottom,  ducks  and 
geese  on  a  deck  laid  across  the  gunwales,  and  on 
top  of  all,  hens  and  chickens.  The  cow-house  was 
lashed  over  the  main  hatch,  and  there  were  also 
other  small  hatch-houses  and  a  companion  aft  lead- 
ing to  the  comfortable,  well-appointed  cabins,  which 
were  lighted  by  deck  skylights,  candles,  and  whale- 
oil  lamps.  The  steerage  passengers  lived  in  the  be- 
tween-decks  amidships,  and  the  crew's  forecastle  was 
in  the  fore-peak.  The  stores,  spare  sails,  gear,  etc., 
were  kept  in  the  lazarette  abaft  the  cabins,  with  a 
small  hatch  leading  to  the  main-deck.  The  hulls 
were  painted  black  from  the  water-line  up,  with 
bright  scraped  bends,  which  were  varnished,  and 
the  inner  side  of  the  bulwarks,  rails,  hatch-houses, 
and  boats  were  painted  green.  It  was  said  that 
some  of  the  early  Black  Ball  captains  had  com- 
manded privateers  during  the  War  of  1812.  At  all 
events,  these  little  ships,  with  their  full-bodied,  able 
hulls,  and  their  stout  spars,  sails,  and  rigging,  were 
driven  outward  and  homeward  across  the  Atlantic, 
through  the  fogs  and  ice  of  summer  and  the  snow, 
sleet,  and  gales  of  winter,  for  all  the  speed  that  was 
in  them.  They  were  in  their  day  the  only  regular 
means  of  communication  between  the  United  States 
and  Europe.  Their  captains  were  the  finest  men 
whose  services  money  could  secure,  and  to  their 
care  were  entrusted  the  lives  of  eminent  men  and 
women,  government  despatches,  the  mails  and  specie. 


40  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Rain  or  shine,  blow  high,  blow  low,  one  of  the 
Black  Ball  liners  sailed  from  New  York  for  Liver- 
pool on  the  first  and  sixteenth  of  each  month,  and 
for  many  years  these  were  the  European  mail  days 
throughout  the  United  States. 

In  1821,  Thomas  Cope  of  Philadelphia  started  his 
line  of  packets  between  that  port  and  Liverpool 
with  the  ships  Lancaster,  of  290  tons,  and  Tusca- 
rora,  of  379  tons,  which  were  soon  followed  by 
larger  vessels,  among  them  some  of  the  finest  ships 
on  the  Atlantic. 

The  Red  Star  Line  of  Liverpool  packets  from 
New  York  was  also  established  in  1821  with  the 
Panther,  Meteor,  Hercules,  and  second  Manhattan, 
and  soon  after,  the  Swallow  Tail  Line  of  Grinnell, 
Minturn  &  Co.,  came  into  existence  with  the  Napo- 
leon, Silas  Richards,  George,  and  York,  Grinnell, 
Minturn  &  Co.'s  London  Line  was  established  in 
1823  with  the  Brighton,  Colmnhia,  Cortes,  and 
Corinthian,  of  less  than  500  tons  each,  and  during 
this  year  John  Griswold's  London  Line  was  also 
started  with  the  Sovereign,  President,  Cambria, 
Hudson,  and  the  second  Ontario, 

The  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  in  1825  gave  a 
great  impetus  to  commerce,  causing  New  York  to 
become  the  eastern  gateway  of  the  United  States, 
and  from  that  date  to  1850  may  be  counted  the 
glorious  years  of  the  Atlantic  packet  ships. 

The  Dramatic  Line  to  Liverpool  was  started  in 
1836  with  the  Siddons,  Shakespeare,  Garrick,  and 
Roscius,  under  the  management  of  E.  K.  Collins. 
These  vessels  did  not  much  exceed  700  tons,  and 
when,  in  1837,  Isaac  Webb  &  Co.  built  the  Sheridan, 


s 

§ 

'5b 


Packet  Ships,  1815-1850  41 

of  895  tons  for  this  line,  she  was  regarded  as  too 
large  for  a  Liverpool  packet,  and  after  a  few  voyages 
was  placed  in  the  China  trade. 

The  first  Havre  line  of  packets  was  founded  by 
Francis  Depaw  in  1822  with  the  Stephania,  Mon- 
tana, Henry  IV.,  Helen  Mar,  Louis  Philippe,  and 
Silvia  de  Grasse.  A  second  line  was  formed  in 
1827  with  the  Baltimore,  Charles  Carroll,  Erie, 
France,  Oneida,  Mercury,  TJtica,  Rhone,  William 
Tell,  and  in  1832  a  third  line,  with  the  Formosa, 
Galia,  Albany,  Duchesse  d' Orleans,  Isaac  Bell, 
Queen  Mah,  and  Don  Quixote. 

In  1831  the  New  Orleans  Line  from  New  York  was 
formed  with  the  Nashville,  Huntsville,  Louisville, 
Creole,  and  Natchez.  These  were  the  first  packet 
ships  built  with  full  poop-decks,  then  quite  a  new 
feature  in  ship-building.  Gradually  the  fiush  deck 
gave  place  to  house-  and  poop-deck  cabins,  then  to 
the  topgallant,  forecastle,  and  house  from  the  fore- 
mast to  the  main  hatch.  The  fashion  of  painting 
also  changed,  and  most  if  not  all  the  packets  carried 
painted  ports,  while  the  inside  green  was  replaced 
by  white  or  light  shades  of  other  colors. 

After  the  Black  Ball  Line  passed  into  the  hands 
of  Captain  Charles  H.  Marshall  in  1836,  the  Colum- 
bus, Oxford,  Cambridge,  New  York,  England,  York- 
shire, Fidelia,  Isaac  Wright,  Isaac  Webb,  the  third 
Manhattan,  Montezuma,  Alexander  Marshall,  Great 
Western,  and  Harvest  Queen  were  gradually  added 
to  the  fleet.  To  meet  the  competition  of  the  Black 
Ball  Line,  the  Swallow  Tail  Line  built  the  Wash- 
ington, Independence,  Pennsylvania,  Roscoe,  Pat- 
rick  Henry,   Ashburton,   Hottinger,   Queen   of   the 


42  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

West,  Liverpool,  New  World,  and  Cornelius 
Grinnell. 

The  packet  ships  slowly  increased  in  tonnage, 
but  did  not  much  exceed  1000  tons  until  1846  when 
the  New  World,  of  1404  tons,  was  built  by  Donald 
McKay,  followed  by  the  Guy  Mannerlng,  of  1419 
tons,  and  the  Albert  Gallatin,  of  1435  tons,  built  by 
William  H.  Webb  in  1849,  these  three  vessels  being 
the  largest  merchant  ships  afloat  at  that  period. 

The  Black  Ball  ships  carried  a  large  painted 
black  ball  below  the  close-reef  band  in  their  foretop- 
sails,  while  the  Dramatic  Line,  not  to  be  outdone, 
carried  a  black  X  which  extended  diagonally,  almost 
from  clew  to  earring,  across  their  foretopsails.  All 
packet  ships  carried  a  white  light  at  the  bowsprit 
cap  from  sunset  to  sunrise,  but  side-lights  did  not 
come  into  use  until  some  years  later.  These  ships 
also  carried  a  flare-up  which  was  kept  in  the  com- 
panion ready  for  immediate  use. 

Throughout  the  various  changes  of  management 
the  Black  Ball  liners  carried  a  crimson  {swallow- 
tail flag  with  a  black  ball  in  the  centre;  the 
Dramatic  liners,  blue  above  white  with  a  white  L 
in  blue  and  a  black  L  in  white  for  the  Liverpool 
ships,  and  a  red  swallowtail  with  white  ball  and 
black  L  in  the  centre  for  the  New  Orleans  ships; 
the  Union  Line  to  Havre,  a  white  field  with  black 
U  in  the  centre;  John  Griswold's  London  Line,  red 
swallowtail  with  black  X  in  centre ;  the  Swallowtail 
Line,  red  before  white,  swallowtail  for  the  London 
ships,  and  blue  before  white,  swallowtail  for  the 
Liverpool  ships;  Kobert  Kermit's  Liverpool  Line, 
blue  swallowtail  with  red  star  in  the  centre;  Spot- 


Packet  Ships,  1815-1850  43 

ford  &  Tillotson's  Liverpool  Line,  yellow  field,  blue 
cross  with  white  S.  T.  in  the  centre.  These  flags 
disappeared  from  the  sea  many  years  ago. 

The  packet  captain,  no  matter  what  his  age  might 
be,  was  usually  spoken  of  as  "  the  old  man,"  a 
title  frequently  embellished  by  the  crew  with  vigor- 
ous epithets,  which  seemed  to  them  appropriate,  but 
which  must  now,  I  fear,  be  left  to  the  imagination 
of  the  reader.  Few  if  any  Americans  sailed  regu- 
larly before  the  mast  on  board  of  these  vessels,  the 
crews  being  largely  composed  of  the  most  abandoned 
scoundrels  out  of  British  and  continental  jails.  I 
shall  have  something  further  to  say  concerning  these 
interesting  beings  in  connection  with  their  exploits 
on  board  of  the  California  clipper  ships. 

Among  the  famous  New  York  packet  captains, 
and  there  were  many  of  them,  were  Charles  H. 
Marshall,  of  the  South  America,  James  Cropper,  and 
Britannia;  N.  B.  Palmer,  of  the  Siddons,  Garrich, 
Huntsville,  and  Eihernia,  and  his  brother,  Alex- 
ander, later  of  the  Garrick;  F.  A.  De  Peyster,  of  the 
Columbus  and  Ontario;  John  Collins,  an  uncle  of 
E.  K.  Collins,  of  the  Shakespeare;  John  Eldridge, 
of  the  Liverpool,  and  his  brother  Asa,  of  the  Roscius, 
and  Oliver,  another  brother,  who  was  mate  with 
Captain  John;  Ezra  Nye,  of  the  Independence  and 
Henry  Clay;  William  Skiddy,  an  older  brother  of 
Francis  Skiddy,  of  the  'Neio  World;  Benjamin  Trask, 
of  the  Virginia,  Jamestown,  and  Saratoga;  Joseph 
Delano,  of  the  Columbia  and  Patfick  Henry;  John 
Britton,  of  the  Constitution,  later  United  States 
consul  at  Southampton;  Ira  Bursley,  of  the  Hot- 
tinger;  Philip  Woodhouse,  of  the  Queen  of  the  West; 


44  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

James  A.  Wooton,  of  the  Havre;  William  H.  Allen, 
of  the  Virginia.,  Waterloo^  West  Point,  and  Constel- 
lation; E.  E.  Morgan,  of  the  Hudson  and  Victoria; 
John  Johnston,  of  the  Rhone  and  Isaac  Bell;  and 
of  a  later  period,  Kobert  C.  Cutting,  of  the  Adelaide; 
and  Samuel  Samuels,  of  the  Dreadnought. 

It  required  an  unusual  combination  of  qualities 
to  command  these  Western  Ocean  packet  ships  suc- 
cessfully. Above  all  things  it  was  necessary  that 
the  captains  should  be  thorough  seamen  and  navi- 
gators; also  that  they  should  be  men  of  robust 
health  and  great  physical  endurance,  as  their  duties 
often  kept  them  on  deck  for  days  and  nights  to- 
gether in  storm,  cold,  and  fog.  Then  there  were 
frequently  desperate  characters  an  ^ng  the  crew  and 
steerage  passengers,  who  required  to  be  handled 
with  moral  courage  and  physical  force,  while  the 
cabin  passengers  were  usually  gentlemen  and  gentle- 
women of  good  breeding,  accustomed  to  courtesy 
and  politeness,  which  they  expected  to  find  in  the 
captains  with  whom  they  sailed.  These  require- 
ments evolved  a  remarkable  type  of  men,  hearty, 
bluff,  and  jovial,  without  coarseness,  who  would 
never  be  mistaken  for  anything  but  gentlemen. 

The  packet  mates,  having  no  social  duties  on  ship- 
board to  distract  their  attention,  were  able  to  de- 
vote their  time  and  energies  to  improving  the  morals 
and  manners  of  the  crew,  and  it  was  on  board  the 
Black  Ball  liners  that  "  belaying  pin  soup "  and 
"  handspike  hash,"  so  stimulating  to  honest  toil, 
were  first  introduced  for  the  benefit  of  mutinous  or 
slothful  mariners. 

Plenty  of  sail  was  carried  by  the  packet  ships 


Packet  Ships,  1815-1850  45 

of  this  period — square  lower,  topmast  and  topgallant 
studding  sails,  skysails  set  on  sliding  gunter  masts 
which  were  struck  in  the  winter  time,  with  three 
reefs  in  the  topsails  and  single  reefs  in  the  top- 
gallantsails.  The  racing  was  fast  and  furious.  In 
1837  a  match  was  made  between  the  Black  Ball 
liner  Columbus,  597  tons,  Captain  De  Peyster,  and 
the  Sheridan,  Captain  Russell,  of  the  Dramatic  Line, 
then  on  her  first  voyage,  for  a  stake  of  |10,000  a 
side,  from  New  York  to  Liverpool,  play  or  pay. 
The  Sheridan,  though  only  895  tons,  carried  a  crew 
of  forty  picked  men  before  the  mast,  with  regular 
pay  of  |25  a  month,  and  the  promise  of  a  bonus 
of  |50  each,  provided  their  ship  won  the  race.  The 
ships  sailed  together  from  New  York  on  Thursday, 
February  2,  1837,  and  the  Colum'bus  won  the  race 
in  sixteen  days,  followed  two  days  later  by  the 
Sheridan,  This  is  the  first  ocean  match  across  the 
Atlantic  of  which  any  record  has  been  preserved, 
though,  of  course,  there  had  been  many  informal 
races  long  before. 

The  Isaac  Bell,  commanded  by  Captain  John 
Johnston,  made  three  voyages  from  Havre  to  New 
York  in  less  than  eighteen  days  each,  one  being  in 
the  month  of  January,  which  is  about  the  hardest 
month  in  the  twelve  for  a  ship  bound  to  the  west- 
ward. The  Independence,  734  tons,  built  by  Smith 
&  Dimon  in  1831,  for  a  number  of  years  when  com- 
manded by  Captain  Ezra  Nye,  took  the  President's 
message  to  England,  her  sailing  day  being  fixed 
for  the  0th  of  March  for  that  purpose.  She  more 
than  once  made  the  passage  from  New  York  to 
Liverpool  in  fourteen  days.     In  November,  1846,  the 


46  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Yorkshire,  Captain  Bailey,  made  the  passage  from 
Liverpool  to  New  York  in  sixteen  days.  This  is 
believed  to  be  the  fastest  passage  ever  made  from 
Liverpool  to  the  westward  by  a  packet  ship.  The 
Montezuma,  1070  tons,  and  the  Patrick  Henry,  997 
tons,  the  Southampton,  1273  tons,  built  by  Wester- 
velt  &  Mackay,  in  1849,  also  the  St.  Andrew,  Captain 
William  C.  Thompson,  of  Robert  Kermit's  Line,  all 
made  the  passage  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  in 
fifteen  days. 

It  should,  however,  be  remembered  that  these 
packet  ships,  running  regularly  across  the  Atlantic 
for  many  years,  necessarily  at  times  encountered 
favorable  conditions  of  wind  and  weather;  whereas, 
a  single  ship  making  the  passage  occasionally,  as 
did  the  clipper  ships  in  later  years,  might  not  find 
so  favorable  a  slant  in  a  lifetime.  None  of  the 
packet  ships  that  made  these  remarkable  passages 
could  average  more  than  twelve  knots  for  twenty- 
four  hours,  and  the  utmost  limit  of  their  speed 
under  the  most  favorable  conditions  was  not  more 
than  fourteen  knots,  if  as  much.  Most  of  these 
ships,  however,  made  the  passage  from  New  York 
to  Liverpool  at  one  time  or  another  in  sixteen  days, 
and  there  were  few  that  did  not  at  least  once  make 
the  run  in  seventeen  days.  The  secret  of  the  speed 
of  these  ships  w^as  that  they  were  commanded  by 
men  who  kept  them  moving  night  and  day,  in  all 
sorts  of  weather,  and  never  let  up  on  their  ships 
or  crews  from  the  time  they  cast  off  from  the  wharf 
at  New  York  until  they  ran  their  lines  ashore  on 
the  pier-head  at  Liverpool.  While  it  is  true  that 
the  New  York  packet  ships  were  by  no  means  clip- 


Packet  Ships,  1815-1850  47 

pers,  still,  their  models  and  rig  were  admirably 
adapted  to  the  work  which  they  had  to  perform. 
It  was  a  splendid  service  and  a  fine  prelude  to  the 
clipper  ship  era. 

Of  the  earlier  New  York  ship-builders,  Henry 
Eckford,  who  came  from  Scotland  in  1796,  when 
twenty  years  of  age,  died  in  New  York  in  1832; 
Christian  Bergh,  who  was  born  in  Wettenburgh, 
Rhinebeck  precinct,  in  17G3,  died  in  New  York  in 
1843;  and  Isaac  Webb,  born  in  Stamford,  Connecti- 
cut, in  1794,  the  son  of  Wilsey  Webb,  died  in  New 
York  in  1840.  To  the  memories  of  these  men,  the 
founders  of  modern  ship-building  in  the  United 
States,  the  highest  praise  is  due  for  their  integrity, 
perseverance,  and  mechanical  skill. 

Of  the  next  generation  of  builders,  Stephen  Smith, 
who  like  Isaac  Webb  was  born  in  Stamford,  formed 
with  John  Dimon  the  firm  of  Smith  &  Dimon,  and 
prior  to  1843  they  had  built  among  other  vessels 
the  packet  ships  Roscoe  and  Independence,  the  ship 
Mary  Eovjland,  the  North  River  steamboats  Roch- 
ester, James  Kent,  and  Oregon,  and  the  Greek 
frigate  Liberator.  Their  building  yard  was  at  the 
foot  of  Fourth  Street,  East  River.  David  Brown 
and  Jacob  Bell  formed  the  firm  of  Brown  &  Bell, 
and  had  a  yard  at  the  foot  of  Stanton  Street,  a 
part  of  which  had  formerly  been  the  Henry  Eckford 
yard.  Prior  to  1843,  this  firm  had  built  the  ships  Or- 
bit and  William  Tell  in  1821,  the  Canada,  Calhoun, 
Savannah,  Pacific,  Washington,  Great  Britain,  John 
J  ay,  Britannia,  George  Canning,  Caledonia,  Hihernia^ 
and  Congress  from.  1821  to  1831;  the  Vict  or  ia,  Eur  opCy 
Francis  Depaw,  Silvia  de  Grasse,  Vickshurg,  Em- 


48  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

erald,  Switzerland,  Shakespeare,  Garrick,  Sheridan, 
Siddons,  Roscius,  and  Cornelia  from  1831  to  1841; 
and  the  Liverpool,  Queen  of  the  West,  and  Henry 
Clay  in  the  period  from  1841  to  1843,  inclusive. 
Besides  these,  they  built  fifteen  other  ships,  seven 
steamers,  eight  barques  and  brigs,  thirty-nine 
steamboats,  six  ferry-  and  tow-boats,  nineteen  sloops 
and  schooners,  seven  pilot  boats,  and  four  yachts. 

Upon  the  death  of  Isaac  Webb  in  1840,  his  son 
William  H.  Webb,  then  only  twenty-four  years  of 
age,  continued  the  firm  of  Webb  &  Allen  which 
built  during  the  next  ten  years  the  packet  ships 
Montezuma,  Yorkshire,  Havre,  Fidelia,  second 
Columbia,  Sir  Rohert  Peel,  Splendid,  Bavaria, 
Isaac  Wright,  Ivanhoe,  Yorktown,  London,  Guy 
Mannering,  Albert  Gallatin,  Isaac  Wel)l),  and  Van- 
guard. Their  yard  extended  from  the  foot  of  Fifth 
to  Seventh  Street,  East  River. 

Jacob  A.  Westerveltj  born  at  Hackensack,  Newi 
Jersey,  in  1800,  was  the  son  of  a  ship-builder.  He 
went  to  sea  before  the  mast  and  upon  his  return 
served  his  apprenticeship  with  Christian  Bergh, 
subsequently  becoming  a  partner  in  the  firm  and 
retiring  with  an  ample  fortune  in  1837.  Mr.  West- 
ervelt  then  made  an  extensive  trip  through  Europe, 
and  after  returning  built  two  ships  at  Williams- 
burg. He  formed  the  firm  of  Westervelt  &  Mackay 
and  built  a  number  of  London  and  Havre  packet 
ships,  among  which  were  the  Ocean  Queen,  West 
Point, Toronto, Devonshire, and  American  Eagle.  The 
front  door  of  Mr.  Westervelt's  house  in  East  Broad- 
way was  ornamented  with  a  beautiful  carved  stone 
cap  representing  the  stern  of  a  packet  ship.    In  later 


0' 


■^ 


Packet  Ships,  1815-1850  49 

years,  he  took  his  sons  Daniel  and  Aaron  into  part- 
nership, the  firm  being  known  as  Westervelt  &  Co. 
Jacob  A.  Westervelt  was  Mayor  of  New  York  in  1854. 

George  Steers,  destined  to  become  famous  as  the 
designer  of  the  Adriatic^  the  Niagara^  and  the 
yacht  America,  was  born  in  Washington,  D.  C,  in 
the  year  1819,  and  in  1843,  after  having  built  a 
number  of  fast  sail-  and  row-boats  for  racing,  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  William  Hathorne,  the 
firm  being  known  as  Hathorne  &  Steers.  Up  to 
this  time  Mr.  Steers,  though  he  had  shown  unusual 
ability  as  a  mechanic,  cannot  be  said  to  have  done 
anything  predicting  his  future  triumphs.  Other 
firms  that  were  building  good  vessels  at  this  time 
were  Thomas  and  William  Collier;  Perin,  Patter- 
son &  Stack;  Laurence  &  Folkes,  and  John  Englis, 
some  of  whom  w^e  shall  hear  of  again. 

The  merchants  of  Boston  after  the  War  of  1812, 
built  or  bought  most  of  their  vessels  at  Medford, 
Newburyport,  Salem,  Scituate,  and  Duxbury,  within 
the  State,  and  at  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  and 
other  ports  where  timber  was  more  plentiful.  It 
was  not  until  1834,  when  the  East  Boston  Timber 
Company  was  incorporated  by  James  Paige,  Francis 
Oliver,  and  Gideon  Barstow,  that  ship-building  be- 
gan to  flourish  about  Boston.  Stephen  White  was 
the  moving  spirit  in  this  transaction,  as  in  1833 
he  had  bought  on  behalf  of  himself  and  associates, 
eighty  thousand  feet  of  land  in  East  Boston,  between 
Border  and  Liverpool  streets,  at  three  cents  per 
foot,  for  the  establishment  of  a  timber  yard  and 
dock.  Mr.  White  also  purchased  Grand  Island,  in 
the  Niagara  River,  which  was  covered  with  valuable 


50  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

timber.  Sawmills  were  erected  on  the  island,  and 
a  supply  of  the  finest  quality  of  ship  timber  w^as 
created,  and  brought  by  the  Erie  Canal  to  tide- 
water, thence  by  coasting  vessels  to  East  Boston. 
This  attracted  ship-builders  from  other  towns,  and 
eventually  made  Boston  a  famous  ship-building 
centre.  Stephen  White  owned  the  first  ship  built 
in  East  Boston,  the  Niagara,  of  460  tons,  appro- 
priately named  after  the  river  from  which  the  timber 
used  in  her  construction  had  come.  She  was  built 
in  1834,  by  Brown,  Bates  &  Delano  in  their  yard 
at  the  foot  of  Central  Square,  and  was  launched 
amid  an  uproar  of  guns,  fire-crackers,  shouts,  and 
music,  with  a  bottle  of  good  Medford  rum  trickling 
down  her  port  bow. 

The  first  Boston  ferry-boats,  the  East  Boston, 
Essex,  and  MavericJc,  were  built  at  East  Boston  in 
1834-35,  but  nothing  further  was  done  in  ship- 
building there  until  1839,  when  Samuel  Hall  a  well- 
known  builder,  of  Marshfield  and  Duxbury,  removed 
to  East  Boston  and  established  a  yard  at  the  west 
end  of  Maverick  Street.  Mr.  Hall  not  only  con- 
tributed to  the  reputation  and  welfare  of  East  Bos- 
ton by  building  a  large  number  of  splendid  vessels 
and  providing  employment  for  a  great  number  of 
men,  but  he  was  also  active  in  all  municipal  affairs. 
In  appreciation  of  his  successful  efforts  for  the  in- 
troduction of  Cochituate  water  into  East  Boston  in 
1851,  his  fellow-citizens  presented  him  with  a  thou- 
sand-dollar service  of  plate,  consisting  of  eleven 
pieces,  with  the  usual  inscription,  with  which  most 
of  us  are  more  or  less  familiar. 

The  Briggs  Brothers,  of  South  Boston,  came  from 


Packet  Ships,  1815-1850  51 

an  old  and  celebrated  ship-building  family  of  Sci- 
tuate,  tlieir  great-grandfather  having  been  a  ship- 
builder of  note  in  colonial  times,  while  their  grand- 
father, James  Briggs,  was  the  builder  of  the  famous 
Colum'bia,  in  1773.  After  his  death  the  yard  was  con- 
tinued by  his  sons,  Henry  and  Gushing,  who  built 
some  of  the  finest  ships  sailing  out  of  Boston,  be- 
sides many  of  the  New  Bedford  and  Nantucket 
whalers,  during  the  first  half  of  the  last  century. 
The  brothers  E.  &  H.  O.  Briggs,  who  established 
their  yard  at  South  Boston  in  1848,  were  the  sons 
of  Gushing  Briggs,  and  they  possessed  the  skill  in 
design  and  thorough  knowledge  of  construction  for 
which  the  family  had  long  been  famous  among  the 
merchants  and  underwriters  of  Boston. 

At  Medford,  on  the  Mystic,  Thatcher  Magoun  es- 
tablished his  shipyard  in  1802,  and  there  built  the 
brig  Mt.  Etna,  of  187  tons,  in  1803,  followed  by 
other  merchant  vessels  as  well  as  privateers  for 
the  War  of  1812.  The  Avon,  the  most  famous  of 
these  privateers,  was  launched  in  twenty-six  days 
after  her  keel  was  laid.  In  1822,  Mr.  Magoun  built 
the  Amethyst,  Emerald,  Sapphire,  and  Topaz,  ships 
of  about  350  tons,  for  the  Boston  and  Liverpool 
Packet  Gompany,  which  ran  for  a  few  years  be- 
tween Boston,  Gharleston,  S.  G.,  and  Liverpool, 
and  home  direct  to  Boston.  One  of  the  novel 
features  of  this  line  was  the  arrangement  as  to 
agents,  their  office  being  at  the  end  of  India  Wharf, 
but  in  Liverpool  each  ship  had  a  separate  agent,  as 
it  was  imagined  that  four  agents  would  attract  so 
many  times  the  more  business.  It  is  evident  that 
the  promoters  of  this  line  had  something  to  learn 


52  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

concerning  Liverpool  ship-brokers  and  their  system 
of  working  freights,  for  the  enterprise  was  not 
successful. 

Another  Liverpool  Line  was  started  in  Boston  in 
1828,  and  the  ships  Boston^  Lowell,  Liverpool,  Ply- 
mouth, and  Trenton  of  this  line  were  built  by  Mr. 
Magoun.  He  also  built  between  1822  and  1829,  the 
ships  Lucilla,  369  tons,  owned  by  Daniel  P.  Parker ; 
Brookline,  376  tons,  and  Courser,  300  tons,  owned 
by  Henry  Oxnard;  and  the  Margaret  Forhes,  398 
tons,  owned  by  Bryant  &  Sturgis,  all  sailing  out 
of  Boston.  Other  Medford  ship-builders  were 
Sprague  &  James,  Isaac  Taylor,  Hayden  &  Cud- 
worth,  J.  O.  Curtis,  Waterman  &  Elwell,  Samuel 
Lapham,  and  Paul  Curtis.  Their  ships  were  known 
all  over  the  world  as  fine,  well-built  vessels.  In 
1845  one  quarter  of  all  the  shipwrights  in  Massa- 
chusetts were  employed  in  Medford,  and  9660  tons 
of  shipping  were  launched  from  its  building  yards. 

The  leading  ship-builder  at  Newburyport  was  John 
Currier,  Jr.,  who  from  1831  to  1843  built  the  ships 
Brenda,  Republic,  Oberlin,  St,  Clair,  Leonore,  and 
Columbus  for  the  Black  Ball  Line,  and  in  1836  the 
Talbot,  Flavio,  Navigator,  Huntress,  Strabo,  and 
Virginia,  ranging  from  339  to  365  tons,  as  well  as 
several  barques,  brigs,  and  schooners.  The  firms  of 
George  W.  Jackman  and  Currier  &  Townsend  had 
not  been  formed  at  this  date. 

Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  was  also  noted  for 
her  ships  and  seamen,  the  principal  builders  in 
1840  being  George  Raynes,  Fernald  &  Pettigrew, 
and  Toby  &  Littlefield,  while  the  Shackfords  and 
Salters  had  been  sea-captains  for  generations.     Mr. 


Packet  Ships,  1815-1850  53 

Raynes  was  born  at  York,  Maine,  in  1799  and  in 
1835  removed  to  Portsmouth  where  he  established 
a  shipyard  upon  the  famous  Boyd  estate,  with  its 
fine  old  trees,  lawns,  and  gardens  of  vegetables, 
fruits,  and  flowers  sloping  to  the  clear  blue  water's 
edge.  The  family  residence,  erected  by  Colonel  George 
Boyd  in  1767,  was  an  excellent  example  of  colonial 
architecture.  In  later  days  it  became  known  as 
the  Raynes  mansion,  and  for  many  years  was  one 
of  the  show  places  of  Portsmouth.  The  original 
beauty  of  the  grounds  was  preserved  so  far  as  pos- 
sible, and  this  was  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  and 
picturesque  shipyard  of  modern  times. 

The  most  famous  clipper-ship  builder  of  his  time, 
Donald  McKay,  was  born  at  Shelburne,  Nova 
Scotia,  in  1810,  and  was  a  descendant  of  that  sturdy 
Highland  chieftain,  Donald  McKay,  who  died  at 
Tain,  County  Ross,  Scotland,  in  1395.  At  about  the 
age  of  sixteen,  Donald  went  to  New  York,  where  he 
w^orked  and  learnt  his  trade  in  the  shipyards  of 
Isaac  Webb,  Brown  &  Bell,  and  perhaps  others- 
By  his  energy  and  mechanical  talents,  he  soon  be- 
came a  master  shipwright,  and  turned  his  face 
toward  the  Eastern  country  again.  In  1810  he  fin- 
ished the  ship  Delia  Walker,  of  427  tons,  for  John 
Currier  at  Newburyport.  This  vessel  was  owned 
by  Dennis  Condry,  who,  when  visiting  his  ship  from 
time  to  time,  was  impressed  by  Mr.  McKay's  su- 
perior mechanical  ability  and  energetic  manner  of 
handling  his  men.  In  1841,  Mr.  McKay  became  a 
partner  in  the  firm  of  Currier  &  McKay,  and  the 
barque  Mary  Broughton,  323  tons,  was  built  by 
them  during  this  year,  followed  in  1842  by  the  ships 


54  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Courier^  380  tons,  and  Asliburton,  449  tons.  The 
firm  then  dissolved,  the  models  and  moulds  being 
equally  divided — with  a  saw. 

The  little  ship  Courier  was  the  first  vessel  de- 
signed by  Mr.  McKay.  She  was  owned  by  W. 
Wolfe  &  A.  Foster,  Jr.,  of  New  York,  who  employed 
her  in  the  Rio  coffee  trade.  She  proved  a  wonder 
for  speed,  and  outsailed  everything,  big  and  little, 
that  she  fell  in  with  at  sea.  No  one  at  that  time 
believed  that  such  a  vessel  could  be  built  outside  of 
New  York  or  Baltimore.  She  not  only  made  a  great 
deal  of  money  for  her  owners,  but  at  once  brought 
her  designer  prominently  before  the  maritime  public. 

In  1843  the  firm  of  :McKay  &  Pickett  was  formed, 
and  the  New  York  packet  ships  ^t.  George,  845  tons, 
in  1843,  and  John  R.  Sldddy,  930  tons,  in  1844,  were 
built  by  them  at  Newburyport.  In  this  year  Enoch 
Train,  a  well-known  ship-owner  and  merchant  of 
Boston,  engaged  in  the  South  American  trade  and 
who  had  already  sent  the  ships  Cairo,  St,  Patriclc, 
and  Dorchester  to  England,  decided  to  put  on  a 
regular  line  of  packets  between  Liverpool  and  Bos- 
ton. While  crossing  the  Atlantic  on  board  one  of 
the  early  Cunarders,  for  the  purpose  of  establishing 
his  European  agencies,  it  happened  that  he  found 
himself  a  fellow-passenger  with  Dennis  Condry, 
owner  of  the  Delia  Walker,  the  gentleman  who  had 
been  so  much  impressed  during  his  visits  to  New- 
buryport, by  the  energy  and  skill  of  Donald  McKay. 
Mr.  Train  and  Mr.  Condry  soon  became  acquainted 
and  naturally  talked  a  good  deal  about  shipping. 
Mr.  Train  was  in  doubt  as  to  whom  he  should  en- 
trust the  building  of  his  ships;  he  did  not  like  to 


Packet  Ships,  1815-1850  55 

construct  them  in  New  York,  yet  he  felt  unwilling 
to  risk  failure  through  employing  local  talent,  how- 
ever able,  for  Boston  builders  were  inexperienced  in 
building  this  class  of  vessel,  while  the  construction 
of  packet  ships  had  been  developed  to  a  high  degree 
of  perfection  in  New  York.  His  doubts  were  freely 
expressed,  but  Mr.  Condry  had  a  strong  conviction 
on  this  subject,  and  so  convincing  were  his  argu- 
ments in  favor  of  his  young  ship-builder  friend,  that 
Mr.  Train,  before  landing  at  Liverpool,  had  promised 
that  he  would  see  Mr.  McKay  upon  his  return  to 
the  United  States. 

The  meeting  at  Newburyport  of  these  two  really 
great  men,  Enoch  Train  and  Donald  McKay,  should 
be  memorable  in  the  maritime  annals  of  the  United 
States.  It  was  the  swift  contact  of  flint  and  steel, 
for  within  an  hour  a  contract  had  been  signed  for 
building  the  Joshua  Bates,  the  pioneer  ship  of 
Train's  famous  Liverpool  Line,  and  Mr.  Train  was 
returning  to  his  home  in  Boston.  He  visited  New- 
buryport  frequently  while  his  ship  was  building, 
and  whether  Mr.  McKay,  during  the  four  years  that 
had  elapsed,  had  further  developed  the  qualities 
which  Dennis  Condr}"  had  so  admired,  as  seems 
probable,  or  whether  Mr.  Train's  perceptive  facul- 
ties were  keener  than  those  of  his  fellow-passenger, 
it  is  a  fact  that  on  the  day  when  the  Joshua  Bates 
was  launched  and  floated  safely  on  the  Merrimac 
Kiver,  Mr.  Train  grasped  Donald  McKay  by  the 
hand  and  said  to  him :  "  You  must  come  to  Bos- 
ton ;  we  need  you ;  if  you  wish  financial  assistance 
to  establish  a  shipyard,  let  me  know  the  amount  and 
you  shall  have  it." 


56  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

So  the  young  ship-builder  had  on  that  day 
launched  his  last  ship  at  Newburyport.  He  soon 
closed  the  pleasant  relations  which  had  existed  with 
his  partner,  and  at  the  age  of  thirty-four  opened 
his  great  shipyard  at  the  foot  of  Border  Street, 
East  Boston.  There  he  built  in  rapid  succession,  be- 
tween 1845  and  1850,  the  packet  ships  Washington 
Irving,  Anglo-Saxon,  Ocean  Monarch,  Anglo-Ameri- 
can, and  Daniel  Webster  for  Train's  Liverpool 
Line.  These  ships  carried  a  black  T  in  their  fore- 
topsail  below  the  close  reef  band,  and  flew  the 
Enoch  Train  signal,  a  red  field  with  white  diamond. 
The  ships  New  World  and  Cornelius  Grinnell  were 
built  here  for  Grinnell,  Minturn  &  Co.'s  Swallow- 
tail Line;  the  A.  Z.,  L.  Z.,  and  Antarctic  for  Zerega 
&  Co.,  New  York;  the  Jenny  Lind  for  Fairbank  & 
Wheeler,  Boston;  the  Parliament,  Plymouth  Rock, 
Reindeer,  and  barque  Helicon  for  George  B.  Upton, 
Boston;  the  Moses  Wheeler  for  Wheeler  &  King, 
Boston ;  and  the  barque  Sultana  for  Edward  Lamb  & 
Co.,  Boston.  These  vessels  were  much  admired  in 
New  York,  London,  Liverpool,  and  other  seaports, 
and  established  the  reputation  of  Donald  McKay  as 
a  ship-builder  equal  to  the  best. 


CHAPTER  IV 

1832-1848 

THE  origin  of  the  word  clipper  is  not  quite  clear, 
though  it  seems  to  be  derived  from  the  verb 
clip,  which  in  former  times  meant,  among  other 
things,  to  run  or  fly  swiftly.  Dryden  uses  it  to 
describe  the  flight  of  a  falcon  ^ : 

"  Some  falcon  stoops  at  what  her  eye  designed, 
And,  with  her  eagerness  the  quarry  missed. 
Straight  flies  at  check,  and  clips  it  down  the  wind." 

The  word  survived  in  the  New  England  slang 
expression  ^'  to  clip  it,"  and  "  going  at  a  good  clip," 
or  "  a  fast  clip,"  are  familiar  expressions  there  to 
this  day.  It  therefore  seems  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  when  vessels  of  a  new  model  were  built,  which 
were  intended,  in  the  language  of  the  times,  to 
clip  over  the  waves  rather  than  plough  through 
them,  the  improved  type  of  craft  became  known  as 
clippers  because  of  their  speed.  It  is  probable  that 
the  swift  privateers  built  at  Baltimore  during  the 
War  of  1812  became  known  as  "  Baltimore  clippers," 
and  while  the  first  application  of  the  term  in  a 

^  Annus  Mirabilis,  stanza  89     (1667). 
57 


58  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

nautical  sense  is  by  no  means  certain,  it  seems  to 
have  had  an  American  origin. 

The  first  clipper  constructed  in  Great  Britain 
was  the  schooner  Scottish  Maid,  one  hundred  and 
fifty  tons,  built  in  1839  by  Alexander  Hall  &  Co., 
of  Aberdeen,  to  compete  with  the  paddle  steamers 
between  Aberdeen  and  London.  She  proved  a  very 
fast  vessel,  and  saw  half  a  century  of  service  be- 
fore she  was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  England. 
Three  schooners  of  the  same  model  and  tonnage, 
the  Fairy,  Rapid,  and  Monarch,  were  built  by  this 
firm  in  1842.  These  four  were  the  first  Aberdeen 
clii'pers.  The  earliest  competition  between  Ameri- 
can and  British  clippers  was  in  the  China  seas.  As 
early  as  1831  three  small  English  schooners,  the 
Jamesina,  Lord  Amherst,  and  Sylph,  were  engaged 
in  the  opium  trade,  which  proved  exceedingly  lucra- 
tive. In  1833  the  Jamesina  sold  opium  from  India 
to  the  value  of  £330,000  at  Foo  Chow,  Amoy,  Ningpo, 
and  other  ports  in  China.  This  business  increased 
and  attracted  the  attention  of  the  American  mer- 
chants in  China.  In  1841,  the  Angola,  a  schooner 
of  90  tons,  built  by  Brown  &  Bell,  of  New  York, 
for  Kussell  &  Co.,  China,  was  despatched  to  Hong- 
kong. She  was  followed  in  1842  by  the  schooners 
Zephyr,  150  tons,  built  by  Samuel  Hall  at  East 
Boston;  Mazeppa,  175  tons,  built  by  Brown  &  Bell, 
and  Ariel,  100  tons,  built  by  Sprague  &  James,  Med- 
ford,  and  in  1843  by  the  brig  Antelope,  370  tons, 
built  by  Samuel  Hall  at  East  Boston.  These  vessels, 
owned  by  John  M.  Forbes  and  Russell  &  Co.,  soon 
controlled  the  opium-trade  and  became  known  as 
opium  clippers.     It  was  necessary  that  they  should 


Opium  Clippers,  1832-1848  59 

be  swift  in  order  to  contend  with  the  strong  tides 
and  currents  on  the  China  coast,  and  to  beat  against 
the  monsoons  in  the  China  Sea.  The  Antelope,  un- 
der the  command  of  Captain  Philip  Dumaresq,  still 
has  the  reputation  of  having  been  the  only  square- 
rigged  vessel  which  could  beat  through  the  Formosa 
Channel  against  the  northeast  monsoon.  Moreover, 
these  vessels  required  speed  to  escape  from  the 
heavily  manned  piratical  craft  which  infested  the 
China  seas,  and  which  were  formidable  vessels,  es- 
pecially in  light  winds  and  calms,  when  they  were 
propelled  by  long  sweeps. 

In  1846,  Alexander  Hall  &  Co.  built  the  clipper 
schooner  Torrington  for  Jardine,  Matheson  &  Co., 
to  compete  with  the  American  opium  clippers  in 
China.  This  schooner,  the  first  British  clipper  in 
the  China  seas,  w^as  followed  by  the  Wanderer, 
Gazelle,  Rose,  the  brig  Lanark,  and  others,  until 
almost  every  British  and  American  firm  in  China 
owned  one  or  more  of  these  smart  vessels.  The 
competition  among  them  was  keen,  and  the  Ameri- 
can clippers  had  decidedly  the  best  of  it.  The  last 
of  these  famous  little  vessels  were  the  sister  schoon- 
ers Minna  and  Brenda,  of  300  tons  each,  built  in 
1851  by  George  Raines  at  Portsmouth,  for  John 
M.  Forbes,  of  Boston,  and  others,  and  the  schooner 
Wild  Dayrcll,  253  tons,  built  in  1855  by  the  well- 
known  yacht  builders  J.  White,  of  Cowes,  Isle  of 
Wight,  for  Dent  &  Co.,  China.  These  opium  clip- 
pers, all  beautifully  modelled  and  equipped  with 
long  raking  masts  and  plenty  of  canvas,  like  yachts 
rather  than  merchant  vessels,  were  heavily  armed 
and  carried   large  crews.     They  all  made  a  great 


6o  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

deal  of  money  for  their  owners  until  they  were 
superseded  by  steamers. 

From  the  earliest  times  in  maritime  history  it 
had  been  the  custom  to  build  large  vessels  of  a 
model  suitable  for  carrying  heavy  cargoes — "  ships 
of  burden  "  they  were  called, — while  the  vessels  de- 
signed for  speed, — the  galley  of  the  Mediterranean, 
caravel  of  Portugal  and  Spain,  lugger  of  France, 
cutter  of  England,  yacht  of  Holland,  schooner  and 
sloop  of  America,  had  been  comparatively  small. 
To  the  latter  class  belonged  the  earlier  British  and 
American  clippers  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The 
Baltimore  clippers,  as  we  have  said,  were  modelled 
after  the  French  luggers  which  visited  American 
ports  during  the  Revolutionary  War.  They  gained 
a  world-wide  reputation  for  speed  as  privateers  dur- 
ing the  War  of  1812,  and  later  also  as  African 
slavers,  many  of  them  sailing  under  the  flags  of 
Portugal  and  Spain.  These  vessels  were  brigs, 
brigantines,  fore-and-aft  or  topsail  schooners,  and 
rarely  exceeded  two  hundred  tons  register. 

^o  far  as  history  records,  no  one  had  ever  at- 
tempted to  reproduce  the  lines  of  a  small,  swift 
vessel  in  a  large  one,  until  in  1832  Isaac  McKim,  a 
wealthy  merchant  of  Baltimore,  commissioned  Ken- 
nard  and  Williamson,  of  Fell's  Point,  Baltimore,  to 
build  a  ship  embodying  as  far  as  possible  the  lines 
of  the  famous  Baltimore  clipper  brigs  and  schoon- 
ers. This  ship  was  th^  Ann  McKim,  named  in  honor 
of  the  owner's  wife,  )if  493  tons  register,  a  large 
vessel  for  those  days^J  She  measured:  Length  143 
feet,  breadth  31  feet,  depth  14  feet,  and  drew  17 
feet  aft  and  11  feet  forward.     She  possessed  many 


Early  Clipper  Ships,  1832-1848       6i 

of  the  striking  features  of  the  Baltimore  clippers 
of  that  period;  namely,  great  dead-rise  at  her  mid- 
ship section,  long,  easy  convex  water-lines,  low  free- 
board, and  raking  stem,  stern-post  and  masts,  and 
was  really  an  enlarged  clipper  schooner  rigged  as  a 
ship. 

The  Ann  McKim  was  a  remarkably  handsome 
vessel,  built  as  the  pet  ship  of  her  owner  without 
much  regard  to  cost.  Her  frames  were  of  live  oak, 
she  was  copper-fastened  throughout  and  her  bottom 
was  sheathed  with  red  copper  imported  for  this 
purpose.  The  flush  deck  was  fitted  with  Spanish 
mahogany  hatch  combings,  rails,  companions,  and 
skylights.  She  mounted  twelve  brass  guns,  and 
was  equipped  with  brass  capstan  heads,  bells,  etc., 
and  carried  three  skysail  yards  and  royal  studding- 
sails.  She  proved  to  be  very  fast,  though  of  small 
carrying  capacity,  and  the  latter  quality  together 
with  her  elaborate  and  expensive  fittings  caused 
the  older  merchants  to  regard  her  unfavorably;  so 
that  for  some  years  they  still  adhered  to  their  full- 
bodied  ships.  The  An7i  McKim  sailed  in  the  China 
trade  for  a  number  of  years,  and  upon  the  death 
of  Mr.  McKim  in  1837,  she  was  purchased  by  How- 
land  &  Aspinwall,  of  New  York,  and  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  Perry.  Eventually  she  was  sold 
at  Valparaiso  in  1847,  and  ended  her  days  under 
the  Chilian  flag. 

Although  the  Ann  McKim  was  the  first  clipper 
ship  ever  constructed,  it  cannot  be  said  that  she 
founded  the  clipper  ship  era,  or  even  that  she  di- 
rectly influenced  ship-builders,  since  no  other  ship 
was  built  like  her;  but  she  may  have  suggested  the 


ir 


62  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

clipper  design  in  vessels  of  ship  rig,  and  owing  to 
the  fact  that  she  fell  into  the  hands  of  Howland  & 
Aspinwall,  she  without  donbt  hastened  the  opening 
of  that  era,  as  the  first  really  extreme  clipper  ship, 
the  Rainhow,  was  owned  by  that  firm. 

It  is  difficult  at  this  distance  of  time  to  determine 
exactly  what  influence  the  Ann  McKim  exercised 
upon  the  science  of  ship-buildingj  though  from  the 
fact  that  no  ship  had  ever  been  built  like  her,  it 
is  probable  that  she  was  an  object  of  considerable 
interest  in  the  maritime  world,  and  it  is  certain 
that  during  the  years  following  her  appearance  a 
more  determined  effort  was  made  in  the  United 
States  to  improve  the  model  and  sailing  qualities 
of  ships.  Among  the  most  notable  of  these  attempts 
were  the  Courier^  already  mentioned,  built  by 
Donald  McKay  in  1842,  and  the  AkMr,  a  ship  of 
six  hundred  and  fifty  tons,  built  by  Samuel  Hall 
at  East  Boston  in  1839,  for  John  M.  Forbes,  and 
others,  who  employed  her  in  the  China  trade.  On 
her  first  voyage  the  Alcbar  made  the  passage  from 
New  York  to  Canton  in  one  hundred  and  nine  days, 
beating  up  the  China  Sea  against  the  northeast 
monsoon.  On  this  voyage  she  was  commanded  by 
Captain  James  Watkins,  in  after  years  commodore 
of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.  Later  she  was 
commanded  by  Captain  Philip  Dumaresq,  who  made 
a  number  of  rapid  passages  in  her  to  and  from 
China.  Then  came  the  Helena,  of  650  tons,  built 
by  William  H.  Webb  in  1841.  This  ship  was  owned 
by  N.  L.  and  G.  Griswold,  and  also  sailed  in  the 
China  trade  under  the  command  of  Captain  Ben- 
jamin, who  made   some  fine  passages.      The  Paul 


Early  Clipper  Ships,  1832-1848       63 

Jones,  of  620  tons,  built  by  Waterman  &  El  well  at 
Medford  in  1842,  was  owned  by  John  M.  Forbes  and 
Russell  &  Co.,  of  China.  She  was  commanded  by 
Captain  N.  B.  Palmer  and  on  her  first  voyage  in 
1843  she  sailed  from  Boston  for  Hongkong,  Janu- 
ary 15th,  crossed  the  equator  26  days  out,  was  54 
days  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  88  days  to  Java 
Head,  and  arrived  at  Hong-kong  111  days  from 
Boston.  In  1848,  this  ship  made  the  run  from  Java 
Head  to  New  York  in  7G  days. 

In  1844,  A.  A.  Low  &  Brother,  of  New  York,  con- 
tracted with  Brown  &  Bell  to  build  the  Eouqua,  of 
TOG  tons,  constructed  for  Captain  N.  B.  Palmer. 
She  made  a  number  of  very  fast  passages.  On  her 
first  voyage  she  made  the  passage  from  New  York 
to  Java  Head  in  72  days,  thence  to  Hong-kong  in  12 
days,  total  84  days.  Her  best  records  from  China 
were  as  follows:  From  Hong-kong,  December  9, 
1844,  passed  Java  Head  15  days  out,  was  70  days 
to  the  Equator  in  the  Atlantic,  thence  20  days  to 
New  York,  total  90  days— distance  by  log,  14,272 
miles.  December  9,  1845,  sailed  from  Hong-kong, 
passed  Java  Head  16  days  out,  arrived  at  New 
York,  March  10,  1846,  91  days'  passage.  Under  the 
command  of  Captain  McKanzie,  in  1850,  she  made 
the  passage  from  Shanghai  to  New  York  in  88  days, 
the  shortest  passage  up  to  that  time.  This  ship 
was  named  in  honor  of  Houqua,  the  well-known 
Canton  merchant  who  was  beloved  and  respected 
by  American  and  English  residents  in  China,  no 
less  for  his  integrity  than  for  his  great  kindness 
and  his  business  ability. 

In  1844  also  William  H.  Webb  built  the  Montauk, 


64  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

540  tons,  for  A.  A.  Low  &  Brother,  and  the  Panama^ 
670  tons,  for  N.  L.  &  G.  Griswold,  both  vessels  for 
the  China  trade,  and  Samuel  Hall,  of  East  Boston, 
built  the  barque  Coquette,  420  tons,  commanded  by 
Captain  Oliver  Eldridge.  The  Coquette  sailed  from 
Boston,  June  29,  1844,  was  76  days  to  Java  Head, 
and  99  days  to  Canton.  She  was  owned  by  Russell 
&  Co.,  of  China,  and  made  several  fast  passages  be- 
tween Calcutta  and  ports  in  China.  Young  James 
H.  Perkins  made  a  voyage  to  China  as  a  passenger 
on  board  this  vessel,  and  his  famous  schooner  yacht 
Coquette,  which  defeated  the  sloop  Maria  in  a  match 
off  Sandy  Hook  in  1846,  was  named  for  the  clipper 
barque. 

These  were  among  the  first  clipper  ships  built  in 
the  United  States,  and  while  by  no  means  extreme 
clippers,  they  were  sharper  and  finer  models  than 
any  vessels  which  had  been  constructed  up  to  that 
time,  and  clearly  indicated  the  da^n  of  a  new  epoch 
in  naval  architecture. 

I  have  now  brought  this  narrative  to  the  opening 
of  the  clipper  ship  era,  and  have  endeavored  to 
sketch  the  development  of  the  merchant  marine  of 
Great  Britain  and  the  United  States  from  the  com- 
mon starting  point — where  the  ship-builders  of  both 
countries  derived  their  best  knowledge  of  ship 
models  and  construction  from  the  French — as  they 
advanced  along  diverging  lines  under  different 
climatic,  social,  and  political  conditions,  until  we 
now  find  them  at  points  widely  distant  from  each 
other — Great  Britain  with  her  stately,  frigate-built 
Indiaman,  embodying  the  glories  of  the  past;  the 
United  States  with  her  wild  packet  ship  scending 


Early  Clipper  Ships,  1832-1848       65 

into  a  long,  sweeping  head  sea,  and  flinging  a  rain- 
bow of  fl3'ing  spray  across  her  weather-bow,  in 
which  was  imaged  the  promise  of  a  glorious  future. 
In  1841,  John  W.  Griffeths,  of  New  York,  pro- 
posed several  improvements  in  marine  architecture, 
which  were  embodied  in  the  model  of  a  clipper  ship 
exhibited  at  the  American  Institute,  in  February 
of  that  year.  Later  he  delivered  a  series  of  lectures 
on  the  science  of  ship-building,  which  were  the  first 
discourses  upon  this  subject  in  the  United  States. 
Mr.  Griffeths  advocated  carrying  the  stem  forward 
in  a  curved  line,  thereby  lengthening  the  bow  above 
water;  he  also  introduced  long,  hollow  water-lines 
and  a  general  drawing  out  and  sharpening  of  the 
forward  body,  bringing  the  greatest  breadth  further 
aft.  Another  improvement  which  he  proposed  was 
to  fine  out  the  after  body  by  rounding  up  the  ends 
of  the  main  transom,  thus  relieving  the  quarters 
and  making  the  stern  much  lighter  and  handsomer 
above  the  water-line. 

I  This  proposed  departure  from  old  methods  nat- 
urally met  with  much  opposition,  but  in  1843  the 
firm  of  Howland  &  Aspinwall  commissioned  Smith 
&  Dimon,  of  New  York,  in  whose  employ  Mr.  Grif- 
feths had  spent  several  years  as  draughtsman,  to 
embody  these  experimental  ideas  in  a  ship  of 
750  tons  named  the  Rainbow,  This  vessel,  the 
first  extreme  clipper  ship  ever  built,  was  there- 
fore, the  direct  result  of  Mr.  Griffeths's  efforts  for 
improvement.  Her  bow  with  its  concave  water- 
lines  and  the  greatest  breadth  at  a  point  consider- 
ably further  aft  than  had  hitherto  been  regarded  as 
practicable,  was  a  radical  departure,! differing  not 


66  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

merely  in  degree  but  in  kind  from  any  ship  that 
preceded  her.  One  critical  observer  declared  that 
her  bow  had  been  turned  "  outside  in^"  and  that  her 
whole  form  was  contrary  to  the  laws  of  nature. 
The  Rainbow  was  designed  and  built  with  great 
care  and  was  not  launched  until  January,  1845. 

Mr.  Griffeths  relates  a  good  story  about  the  mast- 
ing of  this  vessel.  It  appears  that  Mr.  Aspinwall, 
who  had  an  excellent  idea  of  what  a  ship  ought  to 
be,  had  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  masting  of 
vessels  was  a  question  of  no  small  moment  in  ship- 
building, and  determined  that  his  new  ship  should 
have  the  benefit  of  foreign  aid  in  placing  the  masts. 
Accordingly,  he  informed  the  builders  that  he  would 
obtain  assistance  from  abroad,  for  their  benefit  as 
well  as  his  own.  The  builders  naturally  paid  little 
attention  to  this  information.  The  port-captain, 
who  was  appointed  to  superintend  the  construction, 
was  directed  by  Mr.  Aspinwall  to  select  the  best 
authorities  in  Europe  on  masting  ships.  The  Euro- 
pean experts  were  written  to  in  reference  to  this 
important  matter,  and  after  they  had  duly  consid- 
ered the  principal  dimensions  of  the  vessel,  the  trade 
in  which  she  was  to  be  employed,  etc.,  a  spar  draft 
and  elaborate  calculations  were  prepared  and  for- 
warded to  New  York. 

In  the  meantime,  the  construction  of  the  Rainhom 
had  progressed  steadily.  The  clamps  being  ready, 
the  deck  beams  were  placed  according  to  the  original 
drawings,  the  framing  of  the  decks  completed, 
hatches  and  mast  partners  framed,  channels  and 
mast-steps  secured;  the  masts  and  yards  were  also 
made  and  the  ship  planked  and  caulked  by  the  time 


Early  Clipper  Ships,  1832-1848        67 

the  important  despatches  arrived.  They  were  ex- 
amined by  the  port-captain,  Mr.  Aspinwall  was  in- 
formed that  they  were  all  right,  and  the  port- 
captain  was  requested  to  give  the  information  to 
the  builders,  which,  of  course,  was  done.  The  ship, 
however,  was  finished  without  the  slightest  altera- 
tion from  the  original  plans.  Mr.  Aspinwall,  who 
never  doubted  that  his  pet  project  had  been  care- 
fully carried  out,  attributed  much  of  the  success 
of  this  vessel  to  the  placing  of  her  masts  by  foreign 
rujes. 

f  The  sharp  model  of  the  Rahihow  gave  rise  to  a 
great  deal  of  discussion  while  she  was  on  the  stocks 
in  course  of  construction.  It  was  generally  ad- 
mitted by  the  recognized  shipping  authorities  of 
South  Street,  that  she  was  a  handsome  vessel,  but 
whether  she  could  be  made  to  sail  was  a  question 
on  which  there  were  varieties  of  opinion.  She  proved 
an  excellent  ship  in  every  way  and  exceedingly  fast. 
Her  second  voyage  to  China  out  and  home,  was  made 
in  six  months  and  fourteen  days,  including  two 
weeks  in  port  discharging  and  loading  cargo.  She 
went  out  to  China  against  the  northeast  monsoon  in 
ninety-two  and  home  in  eighty-eight  days,  bringing 
the  news  of  her  own  arrival  at  Canton.  Captain  John 
Land,  her  able  and  enthusiastic  commander, declared 
that  she  was  the  fastest  ship  in  the  world,  and  this 
was  undeniably  true;  finding  no  one  to  differ  from 
him,  he  further  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  no  ship 
could  be  built  to  outsail  the  Rainhoio,  and  it  is  also 
true  that  very  few  vessels  have  ever  broken  her 
record.j  She  was  lost  on  her  fifth  voyage  while ']  y\>. 
bound  from  New  York  for  Valparaiso  in  1848  under 


68  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

command  of  Captain  Hayes,  and  it  was  supposed 
that  she  foundered  off  Cape  Horn. 

The  Ariel,  572  tons,  was  built  by  John  Currier  at 
Newburyport  in  1846,  for  Minot  &  Hooper,  of  Bos- 
ton. This  ship  became  celebrated  in  the  China  trade 
and  was  bought  by  N.  L.  &  G.  Griswold,  and  has 
a  record  of  90  days  from  Canton  to  New  York. 

In  1846,  Howland  &  Aspinwall,  for  whom  Cap' 
tain  Robert  H.  Waterman  had  been  making  some 
remarkably  fast  voyages  in  the  old  packet  ship 
Natchez,  had  a  clipper  ship  built  especially  for  him, 
entrusting  the  design  and  construction  to  Smith 
&  Dimon,  the  builders  of  the  Raiiiboio,  though  all 
the  details  of  spars,  sails,  and  rigging  were  carried 
out  under  the  supervision  of  Captain  Waterman. 
This  ship  was  the  famous  Sea  Witch,  of  890  tons, 
length  170  feet,  breadth  33  feet  11  inches,  and  depth 
19  feet.  She  carried  a  cloud  of  canvas ;  three  stand- 
ing skysail  yards,  royal  studding  sails,  large  square 
lower  studding  sails  with  swinging  booms,  ringtail, 
and  water  sails. 

When  loaded  the  Sea  Witch  lay  low  on  the  water ; 
her  hull  was  painted  black  and  her  masts  had  a 
considerable  rake;  her  figurehead  was  an  aggressive- 
looking  dragon,  beautifully  carved  and  gilded.  She 
had  the  reputation  at  that  time  of  being  the  hand- 
somest ship  sailing  out  of  New  York,  and  her  officers 
and  crew  were  picked  men,  several  of  whom  had 
sailed  with  Captain  Waterman  on  his  voyages  in 
the  Natchez.  She  sailed  on  her  first  voyage,  bound 
for  China,  December  23,  1846,  went  to  sea  in  a 
strong  northwest  gale,  and  made  a  remarkable  fine 
run    southward,    arriving    off    the    harbor    of    Rio 


Early  Clipper  Ships,  1832-1848       69 

Janeiro  in  twenty-five  days,  where  she  exchanged 
signals  with  the  shore  and  sent  letters  and  New 
York  newspapers  by  a  vessel  inward  bound.  She 
made  the  passage  from  New  York  to  Hongkong  in 
104  days,  and  arrived  at  New  York  from  Canton 
July  25,  1847,  in  81  days,  making  the  run  from 
Anjer  Point  to  Sandy  Hook  in  62  days.  On  her 
second  voyage  she  arrived  at  New  Y'ork  from  Hong- 
kong, November  7,  1847,  in  105  days,  and  arrived 
from  Canton  at  New  l^ork,  March  16,  1848,  in  77 
days.  On  this  passage  she  made  the  run  from  St. 
Helena  to  Sandy  Hook  in  32  days.  Her  next  voy- 
age was  from  New  York  to  Valparaiso,  where  she 
arrived  July  5,  1848,  in  69  days,  thence  to  Hong- 
kong, where  she  arrived  December  7,  1848,  in  52 
days.  She  arrived  at  New  l^ork  March  25,  1849,  79 
days  from  Canton.  She  next  sailed  from  New  Y^'ork 
for  Canton  via  Valparaiso  and  arrived  at  Canton 
July  23,  1849,  118  sailing  days  from  New  Y^ork. 
She  arrived  at  New  York  March  7,  1850,  from  Can- 
ton in  85  days,  making  the  run  from  Java  Head 
in  73  days. 

This  is  a  most  remarkable  series  of  passages,  es- 
pecially considering  the  seasons  of  the  year  during 
which  most  of  her  China  voyages  were  made.  Her 
best  twenty-four  hours'  run  was  358  miles,  a  speed 
far  in  excess  of  any  ocean  steamship  of  that  period. 
The  Sea  Witch  during  the  first  three  years  of  her 
career,  was  without  doubt  the  swiftest  ship  that 
sailed  the  seas,  and  she  continued  to  distinguish 
herself  later  on,  in  her  passages  from  New  York 
to  San  Francisco  under  the  command  of  Captain 
George  Fraser, 


70  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

In  1847,  A.  A.  Low  &  Bro.  brought  out  the  Samuel 
Russell,  of  940  tons,  built  by  Brown  &  Bell  and 
commanded  by  Captain  N.  B.  Palmer,  formerly  of 
the  Eoiiqua.  Her  first  voyage  from  New  York  to 
Hong-kong  was  made  by  the  eastern  passages  in 
114  days.  On  a  voyage  from  Canton  in  1851  she 
sailed  6780  miles  in  30  days,  an  average  of  226 
miles  per  day,  her  greatest  twenty-four  hours'  run 
being  328  miles.  This  ship  was  named  for  the  emi- 
nent New  York  merchant,  founder  of  the  house  of 
Russell  &  Co.,  of  China,  with  whom  the  brothers 
Low  began  their  career  as  merchants  and  ship- 
owners. She  was  a  beautiful  vessel,  heavily  sparred, 
with  plenty  of  light  canvas  for  moderate  weather, 
and  every  inch  a  clipper. 

The  Architect,  520  tons,  was  also  built  in  1847, 
at  Baltimore,  for  Nye,  Parkin  &  Co.,  American  mer- 
chants in  China,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain 
George  Potter. 

The  Memnon,  1068  tons,  owned  by  Warren  Delano, 
was  built  by  Smith  &  Dimon  in  1848,  and  on  her 
first  voyage  to  China  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Oliver  Eldridge. 

These  were  the  most  celebrated  of  the  clipper  ships 
built  in  the  United  States  prior  to  the  discovery 
of  gold  in  California  in  1848,  though  there  were,  of 
course,  many  other  fine  vessels  engaged  in  the  China 
trade,  which  had  for  years  brought  home  cargoes 
of  tea,  silk,  and  spices.  During  the  twelve  months 
from  June  30,  1845  to  July  1,  1846,  forty-one  vessels 
arrived  at  New  York  from  China,  and  probably  as 
many  more  at  other  Atlantic  ports,  chiefly  Boston 
and   Salem.     Besides  these  vessels  there  were  the 


Early  Clipper  Ships,  1832-1848       71 

South  American,  African,  and  East  India  fleets,  as 
well  as  the  lines  of  splendid  packet  ships  sailing 
from  New  York,  Boston,  and  Philadelphia  to  Euro- 
pean ports.  In  1847,  the  ships  owned  in  the  United 
States  and  engaged  in  foreign  commerce  registered 
1,241,313  tons. 

The  American  clippers  were  decidedly  the  fastest 
ships  built  up  to  that  time,  yet  much  of  their  speed 
was  due  to  the  skill  and  energy  of  their  command- 
ers. The  manner  in  which  American  vessels  were 
handled  at  this  period  will  be  seen  by  extracts  from 
the  log-book  of  the  ship  Great  Britain^  524  tons, 
Captain  Philip  Dumaresq,  on  her  homeward  voy- 
age from  China  in  1849-50.  She  left  Java  Head 
December  22,  1849,  and  by  January  14,  1850,  had 
passed  seven  vessels  bound  the  same  way.  The  log 
from  this  date  reads  in  part  as  follows: 

"  Squally,  under  double  reefed  topsails,  passed  a 
ship  laying-to  under  a  close  reefed  main  topsail.  .  .  . 
January  24th,  a  southwest  gale,  close  reefed  top- 
sails, split  courses;  before  doing  this  we  were  going 
seven  and  one  half  knots  close-hauled,  within  six 
points  of  the  wind  under  double-reefed  topsails  and 
courses;  January  25th,  split  all  three  topsails  and 
had  to  heave-to;  five  vessels  in  sight,  one  a  Dutch 
frigate,  all  hove-to;  January  27th,  seven  vessels  in 
sight  and  we  outsail  all  of  them;  January  29th 
passed  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  anchored  in 
Table  Bay,  parted  both  chains  and  split  nearly  all 
the  sails;  hove-to  outside,  blowing  a  gale  offshore; 
January  30th,  at  6  a.m.  bore  up  for  St.  Helena; 
February  1st,  fresh  trades,  x^^^^ed  a  ship  under 
double  reefs,  we  with  our  royals  and  studdingsails 


72  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

set;  February  8th,  anchored  at  St.  Helena  with  a 
stream  anchor  backed  by  remainder  of  one  of  the 
chains;  February  10th,  having  procured  anchors 
and  water,  left  St.  Helena;  February  21st,  crossed 
the  line  in  longitude  31;  March  12th,  under  double- 
reefed  topsails,  passed  several  vessels  laying-to; 
March  17th,  took  pilot  off  Sandy  Hook,  84  days 
from  Java  Head,  including  detentions." 

Probably  few  if  any  of  the  vessels  which  Captain 
Dumaresq  passed  hove-to  or  under  short  canvas  were 
sailing  under  the  American  flag.  It  is  worthy  of 
note  that  the  Great  Britain  was  at  that  time  twenty- 
six  years  old,  having  been  built  by  Brown  &  Bell 
for  the  New  York  and  Liverpool  packet  service  in 
1824,  and  of  course,  was  by  no  means  a  clipper. 


CHAPTER  V 

TWO    EARLY    CLIPPER    SHIP    COMMANDERS 

CAPTAIN  ROBERT  H.  WATERMAN,  the  first 
commander  of  the  Sea  Witch,  had  been  known 
for  some  years  among  the  shipping  community  of 
New  York  as  an  exceptionally  skilful  seaman  and 
navigator,  but  he  first  began  to  attract  jmblic  at- 
tention about  1844  by  some  remarkably  fast  voyages 
in  the  ship  Natchez.  Captain  Waterman  was  born 
in  the  city  of  New  York,  March  4,  1808,  and  at 
the  age  of  twelve  shipped  on  board  of  a  vessel  bound 
for  China.  After  working  through  the  grades  of 
ordinary  and  able  seaman,  and  third,  second,  and 
chief  mate  on  board  of  various  vessels,  he  sailed 
for  a  number  of  voyages  as  mate  with  Captain 
Charles  H.  Marshall  in  the  Black  Ball  packet  ship 
Britannia  between  New  l^ork  and  Liverpool.  At 
that  time  he  was  counted  one  of  the  smartest  mates 
sailing  out  of  New  York,  and  was  noted  for  keep- 
ing the  Britannia  in  fine  shape,  as  well  as  for  his 
ability  in  maintaining  proper  order  and  discipline 
among  the  steerage  passengers  and  crew,  who  were 
always  a  source  of  anxiety  and  trouble  to  packet- 
ship  captains.  When  his  vessel  was  bound  to  the 
westward  in  1831,  one  of  the  sailors  fell  overboard 
from  aloft  during  a  heavy  gale,  and  Mr.  Waterman 

73 


74  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

saved  the  man's  life  at  the  risk  of  his  own.  The 
cabin  passengers  of  the  Britannia  presented  him 
with  a  substantial  testimonial  in  appreciation  of 
his  humane  and  gallant  conduct.  At  this  time  he 
was  twenty-three  years  old.  Two  years  later  he  was 
promoted  to  captain,  and  in  this  capacity  he  made 
five  voyages  round  the  globe. 

In  1843  he  took  command  of  the  Natchez.  This 
ship,  as  we  have  seen  in  Chapter  III.,  was  one  of 
the  full-pooped  New  Orleans  packets,  and  was  built 
by  Isaac  Webb  in  1831.  Captain  Waterman  took 
her  around  Cape  Horn  to  the  west  coast  of  South 
America,  thence  across  the  Pacific  to  Canton, 
where  he  loaded  a  cargo  of  tea  for  New  York,  and 
made  the  passage  home  in  94  days  and  the  voyage 
round  the  globe  in  9  months  and  26  days.  In  1844 
Captain  Waterman  sailed  again  in  the  Natchez  from 
New  York  for  Valparaiso  and  made  the  passage  in 
71  days,  thence  to  Callao  in  8  days,  and  to  Hong- 
kong in  54  days.  She  again  loaded  tea  for  New 
York  and  sailed  from  Canton  January  15,  1845, 
passed  Java  Head  on  the  26th,  and  39  days  out 
was  off  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  crossed  the  equator 
61  days  out,  arriving  in  New  York  April  3d,  78 
days  from  Canton,  a  total  distance  of  13,955  miles. 
Her  run  from  the  equator  to  New  York  in  17  days, 
and  indeed,  this  whole  passage,  was  most  remark- 
able, as  the  Natchez  during  her  packet  days  had 
established  the  reputation  of  being  an  uncommonly 
slow  ship.  Captain  Waterman  received  a  grand 
ovation  in  New  York  upon  this  record  passage  from 
China,  and  it  was  suggested  that  he  had  brought 
the  old  hooker  home  by  some   route  unknown   to 


Early  Clipper  Ship  Commanders      75 

other  navigators.  In  1845-46  Captain  Waterman 
made  one  more  voyage  to  China  in  the  Natchez, 
from  New  York  direct  to  Hongkong  in  104  days, 
and  returned  to  New  York  in  83  days. 

A  seires  of  voyages  such  as  these,  by  a  ship  of 
the  type  and  character  of  the  Natchez,  would  prob- 
ably have  established  the  reputation  of  any  one 
commanding  her,  and  when  we  consider  that  "  Bob  " 
Waterman,  for  so  he  was  known,  was  at  this  time 
a  young  captain  of  an  unusually  attractive  person- 
ality, it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  the  pride  and 
admiration  with  which  he  was  regarded  by  his 
friends,  of  whom  he  had  many,  both  in  New  York 
and  in  the  various  foreign  ports  to  which  he  had 
sailed.  The  owners  of  the  Natchez,  Howland  & 
Aspinwall,  were  so  favorably  impressed  not  only 
by  his  ability  as  a  seaman  and  navigator,  but  by 
his  loyalty  to  their  interests,  that,  as  we  have 
seen,  they  built  the  clipper  ship  Sea  Witch  for 
him  in  1846.  While  she  was  building,  Captain 
Waterman  married  Cordelia,  a  daughter  of  David 
Sterling,  of  Bridgeport,  and  Mrs.  Waterman 
was  present  as  a  bride  when  the  ship  was 
launched. 

In  1849,  Captain  Waterman  resigned  from  the 
Sea  Witch  to  take  the  Pacific  Mail  steamship  North- 
erner from  New  York  to  San  Francisco.  During 
the  three  years  that  he  had  commanded  the  Sea 
Witch,  she  had  made  a  large  amount  of  money  for 
her  owners,  and  Captain  Waterman  had  added  to 
his  reputation, — so  much  so,  indeed,  that  certain 
good  people  began  to  say  unpleasant  things  of  him. 
It  was  alleged  that  Captain  Waterman  carried  sail 


76  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

too  hard,  that  he  exceeded  the  bounds  of  prudence 
in  this  respect,  and  kept  padlocks  on  the  topsail 
sheets  and  rackings  on  the  topsail  halliards  fore 
and  aft;  also  that  he  maintained  a  standard  of 
discipline  far  more  severe  than  was  necessary. 

It  is  probable  that  Captain  Waterman  did  carry 
sail  rather  hard — most  American  captains  who 
wanted  to  get  anywhere  in  those  days  usually  did 
— and  as  to  the  padlocks  and  rackings,  more  than 
one  captain  used  these  precautions  to  prevent  vil- 
lainous or  cowardly  sailors  from  letting  go  sheets 
and  halliards  by  the  run,  when  according  to  their 
ideas  the  ship  had  too  much  canvas  on  her.  The 
fact,  however,  remains  that  in  the  eighteen  years 
during  which  Captain  Waterman  commanded  vari- 
ous ships,  he  never  lost  a  spar  or  carried  away 
rigging  of  any  importance,  and  never  called  on  un- 
derwriters for  one  dollar  of  loss  or  damage.  The 
record  shows  that  six  of  the  men  before  the  mast 
sailed  with  him  upon  all  his  voyages  in  the  Natchez 
and  the  Sea  Witch,  a  rare  occurrence  at  that  period, 
or  at  any  other  time  of  which  we  have  knowledge, 
and  creditable  alike  to  the  sailors,  the  ships,  and 
their  commander. 

The  truth  is  that  Captain  Waterman  was  a  hu- 
mane, conscientious,  high-minded  man,  who  never 
spared  himself  nor  any  one  else  when  a  duty  was 
to  be  performed.  There  are,  and  always  have  been, 
lazy,  incompetent,  mutinous  sailors,  a  type  of  men 
that  Captain  Waterman  detested.  They  found  no 
comfort  in  sailing  with  him,  and  were  glad  when 
the  voyage  was  ended,  so  that  they  might  scramble 
ashore   and   relate  their   woes   to   the   sympathetic 


Early  Clipper  Ship  Commanders      77 

legal  "  gents ''  who  were  usually  to  be  found  hang- 
ing about  Pier  9,  East  River,  when  the  Sea  Witch 
was  reported  coming  up  the  bay.  We  shall  hear 
more  of  Captain  Waterman  and  his  crew  on  board 
of  the  Challenge  in  a  later  chapter. 

The  celebrated  clipper-ship  captain,  Nathaniel 
Brown  Palmer,  the  first  commander  of  the  Paul 
Jones,  Eouqua,  Samuel  Russell,  and  Oriental,  was 
born  in  the  pretty  town  of  Stonington,  on  Long 
Island  Sound  in  1790,  and  came  from  distinguished 
colonial  ancestry.  His  grandfather's  only  brother 
fell  mortally  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Groton 
Heights  in  1771,  while  his  father  was  an  eminent 
lawyer  and  a  man  of  marked  ability. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen  or  just  as  the  War  of 
1812  was  fairly  under  way,  Nathaniel  shipped  on 
board  of  a  coasting  vessel  which  ran  to  ports  be- 
tween Maine  and  New  York,  and  continued  in  this 
service  until  he  was  eighteen,  when  he  was  appointed 
second  mate  of  the  brig  Hersilia,  bound  down  some- 
where about  Cape  Horn  on  a  sealing  voyage. 

These  sealing  expeditions  were  also  at  that  period 
more  or  less  voyages  of  discovery.  For  years  there 
had  been  rumors  of  a  mythical  island  called  Au- 
roras, embellished  with  romance  and  mystery  by 
the  whalers  of  Nantucket,  New  Bedford,  and  New 
London,  and  described  as  lying  away  to  the  east- 
ward of  the  Horn,  concerning  which  no  forecastle 
yarn  was  too  extravagant  for  belief.  Whaling  cap- 
tains by  the  score  had  spent  days  and  weeks  in 
unprofitable  search  for  it.  On  this  voyage  Captain 
J.  P.  Shefiield,  of  the  Hersilia,  landed  at  one  of  the 
Falkland   Islands,  where   he   left   his   second   mate 


78  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

and  one  sailor  to  kill  bullocks  for  provisions,  and 
then  sailed  away  in  search  of  the  fabled  island. 

Young  Nat  Palmer  proceeded  to  capture  and  slay 
bullocks,  and  when,  after  a  few  days,  a  ship  hove 
in  sight,  he  piloted  her  into  a  safe  anchorage,  and 
supplied  her  with  fresh  meat.  This  vessel  proved 
to  be  the  Espirito  Santo,  from  Buenos  Ayres,  and 
the  captain  informed  Nat  that  he  was  bound  to  a 
place  where  there  w^ere  thousands  of  seals,  and 
where  a  cargo  could  be  secured  with  little  effort, 
but  he  declined  to  disclose  its  position.  The  mind 
of  the  young  sailor  naturally  turned  to  the  magic 
isle  of  Auroras,  where,  according  to  the  saga  pre- 
served beside  the  camp-fires  of  corner  grocery  stores 
in  New  England  whaling  towns,  silver,  gold,  and 
precious  gems  lay  scattered  along  the  beach  in  glit- 
tering profusion,  the  treasure  of  some  huge  galleon, 
wrecked  and  broken  up  centuries  ago,  when  Spain 
was  powerful  upon  the  sea. 

There  must  have  been  something  about  the  whale 
fishery  highly  inspiring  to  the  imagination,  though 
to  see  one  of  the  greasy  old  Nantucket  or  New 
Bedford  blubber  hunters  wallowing  about  in  the 
South  Pacific,  one  would  hardly  have  suspected  it, 
yet  among  the  spinners  of  good,  tough  tarry  sea 
yarns,  some  of  the  authors  of  narratives  relating  to 
the  pursuit  and  capture  of  the  whale  are  easily 
entitled  to  wear  champion  belts  as  masters  of  pure 
fiction.  Whaling  is  one  of  the  least  hazardous,  the 
most  commonplace,  and,  taken  altogether  about  the 
laziest  occupation  that  human  beings  have  ever  been 
engaged  in  upon  the  sea.  Sailors  aboard  the  clip- 
pers fifty  years  ago  used  to  refer  to  whale  ships  as 


Early  Clipper  Ship  Commanders      79 

"  butcher  shops  adrift/'  and  on  account  of  the 
slovenly  condition  of  their  hulls,  spars,  sails,  and 
rigging,  a  "  spouter  "  was  generally  regarded  among 
seamen  as  one  of  the  biggest  jokes  afloat.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  the  whale  is  about  as  stupid  and  in- 
offensive a  creature  as  exists,  and  when  occasion- 
ally he  does  some  harm — smashing  up  a  boat,  for 
instance — it  is  usually  in  a  flurry  of  fright,  with 
no  malice  or  intent  to  kill.  If  a  whale  possessed 
the  instinct  of  self-defence  he  could  never  be  cap- 
tured with  a  harpoon,  but  he  has  evidently  been 
created  as  he  is  for  the  benefit  of  mankind,  and 
incidentally  as  a  temptation  to  scribes,  from  the 
days  of  the  indigestible  Jonah  even  to  the  piscatory 
romancers  of  our  own  times. 

Well,  the  captain  of  the  Espirito  Santo,  after  fill- 
ing his  water-casks,  laying  in  a  stock  of  provisions, 
and  giving  his  crew  a  run  ashore  sheeted  home  his 
topsails,  hove  up  anchor,  and  departed.  Young  Nat 
took  such  a  lively  interest  in  the  welfare  of  this 
craft  that  he  carefully  watched  her  progress  until 
the  last  shred  of  her  canvas  faded  upon  the  horizon. 
He  judged  by  the  sun,  for  he  had  no  compass,  that 
her  course  was  about  south. 

Three  days  after  the  departure  of  the  Espirito 
Santo,  the  Hersilia  appeared.  Captain  Sheffield  had 
found  nothing  and  seen  nothing,  except  the  cold,  gray 
sky,  and  the  long,  ceaseless  heaving  of  the  South- 
ern Ocean's  mighty  breast,  a  few  stray,  hungry, 
screeching  albatross,  and  once  in  a  while,  for  a 
moment,  a  whale,  with  smooth,  glistening  back, 
spouting  jets  of  feathery  spray  high  in  the  keen, 
misty  air,  then  sounding  among  the  caverns  of  the 


8o  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

deep.  He  had  returned,  like  so  many  other  credu- 
lous mariners,  empty-handed,  but  he  found  his 
young  second  mate  in  a  white  heat  of  enthusiasm 
as  he  reported  to  his  commander  what  he  had 
learned,  and  finally,  with  the  hopefulness  of  youth, 
declared  his  belief  that  "  we  can  follow  that  Espirito 
Santo,  and  find  her,  too."  And  they  did^  for  in  a  few 
days  she  was  discovered  lying  at  anchor  in  a  bay  off 
the  South  Shetlands,  islands  at  that  time  unknown 
in  North  America,  though  soon  to  become  famous 
as  the  home  of  seals.  The  officers  and  crew  of  the 
Espirito  Santo  greeted  them  with  surprise,  while 
their  admiration  took  the  substantial  form  of  assist- 
ing to  load  the  Hersilia  with  ten  thousand  of  the 
finest  sealskins,  with  which  she  returned  to 
Stonington. 

This  exploit  spread  like  wildfire  through  New 
England  whaling  ports,  and  secured  Captain  Palmer 
at  the  age  of  twenty,  command  of  the  Stonington 
sloop  Hero,  "  but  little  rising  forty  tons,"  on  board 
of  which  he  sailed  again  for  the  Antarctic  seas,  as 
tender  to  the  Hersilia,  in  1819.  Upon  this  voyage, 
after  calling  at  the  Falkland  Islands  for  water 
and  provisions,  they  again  steered  for  the  South 
Shetlands,  and  the  Hersilia  and  Hero  returned  to 
Stonington  with  full  cargoes  of  sealskins. 

In  1821,  Captain  Palmer  again  sailed  in  the  Hero 
upon  an  expedition  to  the  South  Shetlands,  com- 
posed of  six  vessels  commanded  by  Captain  William 
Fenning  of  the  brig  Alabama  Packet.  By  this 
time,  however,  the  seals  had  been  nearly  exter- 
minated, and  Captain  Palmer  sailed  farther  south 
In  search  of  new  sealing-grounds,  until  he  sighted 


Early  Clipper  Ship  Commanders      8i 

land  not  laid  down  on  any  chart.  He  cruised  along 
the  coast  for  some  days  and  satisfied  himself  that 
it  was  not  an  island,  and  after  anchoring  in  several 
bays  without  finding  any  seals,  although  the  high 
cliffs  and  rocks  were  covered  by  multitudes  of 
penguin,  he  steered  away  to  the  northward  with 
light  winds  and  fog. 

One  night  the  Hero  lay  becalmed  in  a  dense  fog, 
the  cold,  penetrating  mist  drenching  her  sails  and 
dripping  from  the  main  boom  along  her  narrow 
deck.  At  midnight  Captain  Palmer  relieved  his 
mate  and  took  the  deck  for  the  middle  watch. 
When  the  man  at  the  helm  struck  one  bell,  the 
captain  was  somewhat  startled  to  hear  the  sound 
repeated  twice  at  short  intervals,  for  he  knew,  or 
thought  he  knew,  that  the  only  living  things  within 
many  leagues  were  whales,  albatross,  penguin,  and 
the  like,  nor  did  he  recall  ever  hearing  that  these 
harmless  creatures  carried  bells  with  them.  The 
men  of  the  watch  on  deck  were  really  alarmed,  for 
in  those  days  superstition  had  not  by  any  means 
departed  from  the  ocean.  The  crew  had  heard  of 
the  fierce  Kraken  of  northern  seas,  and  suddenly 
remembered  all  about  the  doomed  and  unforgiven 
Vanderdecken,  to  say  nothing  of  mythical  local 
celebrities,  renowned  in  all  the  barrooms  of  coast 
towns  between  Cornfield  Point  and  Siasconset 
Head,  nor  were  their  fears  assuaged  when  at  two 
bells  the  same  thing  happened  again,  and  so  on 
through  the  watch. 

Captain  Palmer,  however,  concluded  that,  strange 
as  it  seemed,  he  must  be  in  company  with  other 
vessels,  and  so  at  four  o'clock  he  left  the  mate  in 

6 


82  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

charge  of  the  deck  with  orders  to  call  him  if  the 
fog  lifted,  and  turned  in  for  his  morning  watch 
below.  At  seven  bells  the  mate  reported  that  the 
fog  had  cleared  a  little  and  a  light  breeze  was 
springing  up,  and  by  the  time  Captain  Palmer  got 
on  deck  two  large  men-of-war  were  in  sight  not 
more  than  a  mile  distant — a  frigate  on  the  port 
bow  and  a  sloop  of  war  on  the  starboard  quarter, 
both  showing  Russian  colors.  Soon  the  United 
States  ensign  was  run  up  at  the  main  peak  of  the 
Hero  and  floated  gaily  in  the  morning  breeze.  The 
three  vessels  were  now  hove  to,  and  a  twelve-oared 
launch  was  seen  approaching  from  the  frigate,  her 
crew  and  officer  in  the  stern  sheets  in  uniform. 
As  she  swept  round  the  stern  of  the  Eero  the  crew 
tossed  oars  and  the  coxswain  shot  her  alongside. 
She  really  looked  almost  as  large  as  the  little  sloop ; 
at  all  events  the  Russian  officer  stepped  from  her 
gunwale  to  the  deck  of  the  Eero.  The  officer  spoke 
English  fluently,  and  presented  the  compliments  of 
Commander  Bellingshausen,  who  invited  the  cap- 
tain of  the  American  sloop  to  come  on  board  his 
ship. 

Captain  Palmer  was  all  his  life  a  man  of  pur- 
pose rather  than  of  ceremony,  though  by  no  means 
deficient  in  dignity  and  self-respect.  He  accepted 
the  invitation,  and  giving  an  order  or  two  to  his 
mate,  stepped  into  the  launch  just  as  he  stood, 
in  sea  boots,  sealskin-coat,  and  sou'wester.  They 
were  soon  alongside  the  frigate,  and  Captain  Palmer 
was  ushered  into  the  commander's  spacious  and 
luxurious  cabin.  The  scene  was  impressive;  the 
venerable,  white-haired  commander  surrounded  by 


Early  Clipper  Ship  Commanders     St, 

his  officers  in  uniform,  and  the  stalwart  young 
American  captain  standing  with  respectful  dig- 
nity, his  rough  weather-worn  sea-dress  contrasting 
with  his  fresh,  intelligent,  handsome  face.  Com- 
mander Bellingshausen  smiled  pleasantly,  and  tak- 
ing his  guest  by  the  hand,  said  kindly,  ^'  You  are 
welcome,  young  man ;  be  seated." 

After  questioning  Captain  Palmer  about  him- 
self, his  vessel,  and  the  land  he  had  discovered,  and 
incidentally  remarking  that  he  himself  had  been 
two  years  upon  a  voyage  of  discovery,  the  com- 
mander asked  to  see  Captain  Palmer's  chart  and 
log-book.  These  were  sent  for  on  board  the  Hero 
while  an  elaborate  luncheon  was  being  served,  and 
were  afterwards  carefully  examined.  The  com- 
mander then  rose  from  his  seat  and  placing  his 
hand  in  a  parental  manner  upon  the  young  cap- 
tain's head,  delivered  quite  an  oration :  "  I  name 
the  land  you  have  discovered  ^  Palmer  Land '  in 
your  honor;  but  what  will  my  august  master  say, 
and  what  will  he  think  of  my  cruising  for  two 
years  in  search  of  land  that  has  been  discovered 
by  a  boy,  in  a  sloop  but  little  larger  than  the  launch 
of  my  frigate?"  Captain  Palmer  was  unable  to 
offer  any  information  on  this  point,  but  he  thanked 
his  host  for  the  honor  conferred  upon  him,  and 
for  his  kindness  and  hospitality,  remaining  some- 
what non-committal  in  his  opinion  as  to  the  old 
gentleman's  qualifications  as  an  explorer. 

It  may  be  mentioned  that  upon  all  charts  this 
portion  of  the  Antarctic  Continent  is  laid  down 
as  "  Palmer  Land,"  also  that  some  twenty  years 
elapsed  before  it  was  rediscovered  by  the  British 


84  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

explorer,  Sir  James  Ross,  in  command  of  the 
famous  Erehus  and  Terror  expedition. 

Captain  Palmer  next  took  command  of  the 
schooner  Cadct^  owned  by  Borrows  &  Spooner,  of 
New  York,  on  board  of  which  he  made  a  number 
of  voyages  to  the  Spanish  Main.  In  1826  he  took 
the  brig  Tampico  to  Carthagena,  and  upon  his  re- 
turn he  married  a  daughter  of  Major  Paul  Babcock 
and  sister  of  Captain  David  S.  Babcock,  afterwards 
famous  as  commander  of  the  clipper  ships  Sword- 
Fish  and  Young  America,  and  subsequently  Presi- 
dent of  the  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.  Captain 
Palmer  then  took  the  brig  Francis  on  several  voy- 
ages to  Europe,  and  in  1829  was  in  command  of  the 
brig  Anawan,  exploring  new  sealing-grounds  among 
the  islands  about  Cape  Horn.  In  1833  he  took 
command  of  the  New  Orleans  packet  ship  Hunts- 
ville,  and  then  of  the  Eihernia,  Garrick,  and  Sid- 
dons.  In  1842  and  the  years  following,  as  we  have 
seen,  he  commanded  the  clippers  Paid  Jones, 
Eouqua,  Samuel  Russell,  and  Oriental,  and  in  1850 
retired  from  the  sea. 

At  this  time  he  was  well  known,  not  only  among 
his  neighbors  and  friends  at  Stonington,  but  in  the 
great  seaports  of  Europe  and  China  as  "  Captain 
Nat,"  and  many  of  those  who  talked  about  what  he 
had  said  and  what  he  had  done  were  apparently  un- 
aware that  he  possessed  any  other  name.  It  is 
pleasant  to  reflect  that  the  neighboring  seaport  of 
Bristol  has  perpetuated  the  title  in  one  who  is 
respected  and  beloved,  not  more  for  his  genius  than 
for  his  modesty  and  reserve. 

It  was,  of  course,  impossible  for  a  man  of  Oep- 


Early  Clipper  Ship  Commanders     85 

tain  Palmer's  earnest  temperament  and  varied  ac- 
tivities to  lead  a  life  of  pleasure  and  idleness,  so 
one  of  the  first  things  that  he  did  upon  his  re- 
tirement was  to  take  the  auxiliary  steamship 
United  States  from  New  York  to  Bremen 
where  she  was  sold.  When  some  of  his  friends 
rallied  him,  asking  whether  he  considered  this  giv- 
ing up  the  sea,  Captain  Palmer  replied,  "  Well,  I 
really  don't  know  how  you  can  call  a  trip  like  this 
going  to  sea." 

For  many  years  Captain  Palmer  was  the  confi- 
dential adviser  of  A.  A.  Low  &  Brother  in  all 
matters  relating  to  their  ships,  w^hich  occupied  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  his  time,  and  while  he  was  a 
seaman  par  excellence,  he  also  possessed  other  accom- 
plishments. He  had  much  knowledge  of  the  design 
and  construction  of  ships,  and  many  of  his  sugges- 
tions were  embodied  in  the  Eouqua,  Samuel  Russell, 
Oriental,  and  other  ships  subsequently  owned  by 
the  Lows.  He  was  also  a  fine  all-round  sportsman, 
being  a  skilful  yachtsman,  excellent  shot,  and 
truthful  fisherman.  Altogether,  he  owned  some  fif- 
teen yachts,  and  he  was  one  of  the  earliest  members 
of  the  New  York  Yacht  Club,  joining  on  June  7, 
1845.  The  beautiful  schooner  Juliet,  of  seventy 
tons,  designed  by  himself,  was  the  last  yacht  owned 
by  him.  On  board  of  her  he  sailed,  summer  after 
summer,  upon  the  pleasant  waters  of  the  New  Eng- 
land coast  that  he  had  known  from  boyhood  and 
loved  so  well. 

Captain  Palmer  stood  fully  six  feet,  and  was  a 
man  of  great  physical  strength  and  endurance.  He 
was  an  active  member  of  the  Currituck  Club,  and  at 


86  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

the  age  of  seventy-six,  on  his  annual  cruise  to  the 
Thimble  Islands  for  duck  shooting,  few  of  the  party 
of  much  younger  men  held  so  steady  a  gun,  or 
could  endure  the  fatigue  and  exposure  for  which 
he  seemed  to  care  nothing.  Though  rugged  in  ap- 
pearance, his  roughness  was  all  on  the  outside;  his 
heart  was  filled  with  kindness  and  sympathy  for 
the  joys  and  sorrows  of  others.  His  brother.  Captain 
Alexander  Palmer,  a  seaman  only  less  famous  than 
himself,  once  said :  "  My  home  is  here  in  Stonington, 
but  Nat's  home  is  the  world."  Captain  Palmer  was 
deeply  though  not  vainly  religious,  and  was  long  a 
warden  of  Calvary  Episcopal  Church  at  Stonington. 
In  1876  he  accompanied  his  nephew,  Nathaniel  B. 
Palmer,  his  brother  Alexander's  eldest  son,  who  was 
in  feeble  health,  to  Santa  Barbara,  but  as  the  in- 
valid derived  no  benefit  there,  they  went  for  the 
sea  voyage  to  China  on  board  the  clipper  ship  Mary 
Whitridge.  At  Hongkong,  Captain  Palmer  received 
an  ovation,  for,  while  few  of  his  old  friends  there 
were  still  alive,  those  who  were  left  had  good  mem- 
ories. On  the  return  voyage  to  San  Francisco  on 
the  steamship  City  of  Pekin,  Captain  Palmer's 
nephew  died  when  the  vessel  was  but  one  day  out. 
This  was  a  terrible  blow  to  Captain  Palmer,  from 
which  he  never  recovered.  On  arriving  at  San 
Francisco  he  was  confined  to  his  bed,  and  although 
he  received  every  care,  he  died  there  on  June  21, 
1877,  in  his  seventy-eighth  year.  At  the  close  of  a 
glorious  summer  day,  the  remains  of  the  devoted 
uncle  and  nephew  were  laid  at  rest  in  the  church- 
yard at  Stonington,  by  the  hands  of  those  who  had 
known  and  loved  them  well. 


Early  Clipper  Ship  Commanders     87 

Captain  Palmer  was  a  fine  type  of  the  American 
merchant  seaman  of  that  period,  and  I  have  thought 
it  worth  while  to  trace  the  leading  events  of  his 
life,  because  he  always  seemed  to  me  to  be  the 
father  of  American  clipper-ship  captains.  Prob- 
ably no  one  ever  brought  up  so  many  young  men 
who  afterward  became  successful  shipmasters,  while 
his  character  and  example  were  an  inspiration  to 
many  who  never  sailed  with  him.  It  is  indicative 
of  the  broad  and  far-reaching  sympathies  of  Captain 
Palmer's  life,  that  not  only  a  part  of  the  Antarctic 
Continent  bears  his  name — an  enduring  monument  to 
his  memory — but  that  A.  A.  Low  &  Brother  named 
one  of  their  finest  clipper  ships,  the  N.  B.  Palmer, 
and  the  famous  schooner-yacht  Palmer,  owned  for 
many  years  by  Rutherfurd  Stuyvesant,  was  also 
named  for  him.  Few  men  in  private  life  have  had 
part  of  a  continent,  a  clipper  ship,  and  yacht  named 
for  them. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE    REPEAL   OF   THE    BRITISH    NAVIGATION    LAWS — THE 
"  ORIENTAL  '^ 

THE  repeal  of  the  British  Navigation  Laws  in 
1849,  after  violent  opposition  in  Parliament 
and  the  House  of  Lords,  and  from  almost  every 
British  ship-builder  and  ship-owner,  gave  a  new  im- 
petus to  the  building  of  clipper  ships,  as  the  British 
merchant  marine  was  then  for  the  first  time  brought 
into  direct  competition  with  the  vessels  of  other 
nationalities,  especially  those  of  the  United  States. 

During  the  years  that  had  elapsed  since  the  clos- 
ing up  of  the  East  India  Company  in  1832,  some 
effort  had  been  made  to  improve  the  model  and 
construction  of  British  merchant  ships,  and  as  we 
have  seen,  clipper  schooners  had  been  built  for  the 
Aberdeen  service  and  for  the  opium  trade  in  China, 
but  no  attempt  had  been  made  in  Great  Britain  to 
build  clipper  ships.  British  ship-owners  still  felt 
secure  under  the  Navigation  Laws,  in  the  possession 
of  their  carrying  trade  with  the  Far  East,  and  paid 
little  attention  to  the  improvements  in  naval  archi- 
tecture which  had  been  effected  in  the  United  States. 

This  w^as  not  from  ignorance  of  what  had  been 
accomplished  there,  for  the  fast  American  packet 


Repeal  of  Navigation  Laws  89 

ships  had  long  been  seen  lying  in  the  London  and 
Liverpool  docks.  In  1848,  Lord  William  Lennox, 
in  an  article  entitled  A  Fortnight  in  Cheshire,  men- 
tions seeing  them.  He  says:  "Here  (Liverpool) 
are  some  splendid  American  liners.  I  went  on 
board  the  Henry  Clay  of  New  York,  and  received 
the  greatest  attention  from  her  commander,  Cap- 
tain Ezra  Nye.  Nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  of 
this  ship;  she  is  quite  a  model  for  a  frigate.  Her 
accommodations  are  superior  to  any  sailing  vessel 
I  ever  saw."  There  were  also  the  Independence, 
Yorkshire,  Montezuma,  Margaret  Evans,  New 
World,  and  scores  of  other  fast  American  packet 
ships  which  had  been  sailing  in  and  out  of  Liver- 
pool and  London  for  years.  The  arrivals  and  de- 
partures of  these  vessels  created  no  deep  impression 
upon  the  minds  of  British  ship-owners,  because  they 
were  not  at  that  time  competing  with  sailing  vessels 
for  the  North  Atlantic  trade  to  the  United  States, 
/^he  same  lack  of  enterprise  was  apparent  in 
tne  men  who  handled  their  vessels,  as  we  may  see 
from  the  following  amusing  description  in  De 
Tocquevi lie's  Democracy  in  America,  published  in 
1835  1 : 

"  The  European  sailor  navigates  with  prudence ; 
he  only  sets  sail  when  the  weather  is  favorable ;  if  an 
unfortunate  accident  befalls  him,  he  puts  into  port; 
at  night  he  furls  a  portion  of  his  canvas ;  and  when 
the  whitening  billows  intimate  the  vicinity  of  land, 
he  checks  his  way  and  takes  an  observation  of  the 
sun.     But  the  American  neglects  these  precautions 

1  Second  American  edition,  translated  by  H.  Reeve, 
pp.  403-4. 


90  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

and  braves  these  dangers.  He  weighs  anchor  in 
the  midst  of  tempestuous  gales;  by  night  and  day 
he  spreads  his  sheets  to  the  winds;  he  repairs  as 
he  goes  along  such  damage  as  his  vessel  may  have 
sustained  from  the  storm;  and  when  he  at  last 
approaches  the  term  of  his  voyage,  he  darts  onward 
to  the  shore  as  if  he  already  descried  a  port.  The 
Americans  are  often  shipwrecked,  but  no  trader 
crosses  the  seas  so  rapidly.  And  as  they  perform 
the  same  distance  in  shorter  time,  they  can  perform 
it  at  a  cheaper  rate. 

"  The  European  touches  several  times  at  different 
ports  in  the  course  of  a  long  voyage;  he  loses  a 
good  deal  of  precious  time  in  making  harbor,  or  in 
waiting  for  a  favorable  wind  to  leave  it;  and  pays 
daily  dues  to  be  allowed  to  remain  there.  The 
American  starts  from  Boston  to  purchase  tea  in 
China ;  he  arrives  at  Canton,  stays  there  a  few  days, 
and  then  returns.  In  less  than  two  years  he  has 
sailed  as  far  as  the  entire  circumference  of  the  globe, 
and  he  has  seen  land  but  once.  It  is  true  that  during 
a  voyage  of  eight  or  ten  months  he  has  drunk  brack- 
ish water,  and  lived  upon  salt  meat;  that  he  has 
been  in  a  continual  contest  with  the  sea,  with  dis- 
ease, and  with  a  tedious  existence;  but,  upon  his 
return,  he  can  sell  a  pound  of  tea  for  a  half-penny 
less  than  the  English  merchant,  and  his  purpose  is 
accomplished. 

"  I  cannot  better  explain  my  meaning  than  by 
saying  that  the  Americans  affect  a  sort  of  heroism 
in  their  manner  of  trading.  But  the  European 
merchant  will  always  find  it  very  difficult  to  imitate 
his  American  competitor,  who,  in  adopting  the  sys- 


Repeal  of  Navigation  Laws  91 

tern  I  have  just  described,  follows  not  only  a 
calculation  of  his  gain,  but  an  impulse  of  his 
nature/' y 

At  that  time  there  were  several  American  ships 
that  could  have  transported  De  Tocqueville  from 
Boston  to  Canton  and  back  in  considerably  less 
than  two  years,  and  doubtless  their  captains  would 
have  supplied  him  with  something  much  better  than 
brackish  water  to  drink,  besides  convincing  him 
that  what  he  regarded  as  recklessness  was  in  reality 
fine  seamanship,  and  that  he  had  been  in  no  greater 
danger  of  shipwreck  than  on  board  a  vessel  of  any 
other  nationality,  besides  being  a  great  deal  more 
comfortable. 

Some  time  before  1849,  British  sea-captains  must 
have  seen  the  American  clipper  ships  in  the  ports 
of  China;  or  perhaps  an  Indiaman  in  the  lone 
ponthern  ocean  may  have  been  lying  almost  be- 
calmed on  the  long  heaving  swell,  lurching  and  slat- 
ting the  wind  out  of  her  baggy  hemp  sails,  while 
her  officers  and  crew  watched  an  American  clipper 
as  she  swept  past,  under  a  cloud  of  canvas,  curling 
the  foam  along  her  keen,  slender  bow.  But  when 
these  mariners  returned  home  and  related  what 
they  had  seen,  their  yarns  were  doubtless  greeted 
with  a  jolly,  good-humored  smile  of  British  incredu- 
lity. With  the  Navigation  Laws  to  protect  them, 
British  ship-owners  cared  little  about  American 
ships  and  their  exploits. 

These  Navigation  Laws,  first  enacted  in  1651  by 
the  Parliament  of  Cromwell,  and  affirmed  by 
Charles  II.  soon  after  his  restoration  to  the  throne, 
were   intended   to   check   the   increasing   power   of 


92  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Holland  upon  the  sea,  but  they  had  quite  the  con- 
trary effect.,  With  a  few  slight  changes,  however, 
they  were  passed  along  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion, until  Adam  Smith  exposed  the  fallacy  of 
Protection  in  his  Wealth  of  Nations,  which  appeared 
in  1776.  From  that  time  on,  British  statesmen, 
few  in  number  at  first,  adopted  his  teachings,  and 
under  the  pressure  of  popular  clamor  some  conces- 
sions were  made,  especially  in  the  way  of  reciprocity 
treaties,  but  it  was  nearly  three  quarters  of  a 
century  before  these  barbaric  old  laws,  a  legacy 
from  the  thieving  barons,  were  finally  swept 
away. 

It  may  be  well  briefly  to  enumerate  these  laws 
as  they  stood  previous  to  their  repeal,  for  it  is 
seldom  that  one  comes  across  so  much  ingenious 
stupidity  in  so  compact  a  form ;  also  mainly  because 
through  their  repeal  the  ships  of  Great  Britain 
eventually  became  the  greatest  ocean  carriers  of  the 
world. 

(I.)  Certain  enumerated  articles  of  European  pro- 
duce could  only  be  imported  to  the  United  Kingdom 
for  consumption,  in  British  ships  or  in  ships  of 
the  country  of  which  the  goods  were  the  produce, 
or  in  ships  of  that  country  from  which  they  were 
usually  imported. 

(II.)  No  produce  of  Asia,  Africa,  or  America 
could  be  imported  for  consumption  in  the  United 
Kingdom  from  Europe  in  any  ships;  and  such  pro- 
duce could  only  be  imported  from  any  other  place 
in  British  ships  or  in  ships  of  the  country  of  which 
they  were  the  produce. 

(III.)  No  goods  could  be  carried  coastwise  from 


Repeal  of  Navigation  Laws  93 

one  part  of  the  United  Kingdom  to  another  in  any 
but  British  ships. 

(IV.)  No  goods  could  be  exported  from  the  United 
Kingdom  to  any  of  the  British  possessions  in  Asia, 
Africa,  or  America  (with  some  exceptions  in  regard 
to  India)  in  any  but  British  ships. 

(V.)  No  goods  could  be  carried  from  one  British 
possession  in  Asia,  Africa,  or  America  to  another, 
nor  from  one  part  of  such  possession  to  another 
part  of  the  same,  in  any  but  British  ships. 

(VI.)  No  goods  could  be  imported  into  any  Brit- 
ish possessions  in  Asia,  Africa,  or  America,  in  any 
but  British  ships,  or  ships  of  the  country  of  which 
the  goods  were  the  produce;  provided  also,  in  such 
case,  that  such  ships  brought  the  goods  from  that 
country. 

(VII.)  No  foreign  ships  were  allow^ed  to  trade 
with  any  of  the  British  possessions  unless  they  had 
been  specially  authorized  to  do  so  by  orders  in 
Council. 

(VIII.)  Powers  were  given  to  the  sovereign  in 
Council  to  impose  differential  duties  on  the  ships 
of  any  country  which  did  the  same  with  reference 
to  British  ships;  and  also  to  place  restrictions  on 
importations  from  any  foreign  countries  which 
placed  restrictions  on  British  importations  into 
such  countries. 

Furthermore,  by  an  act  passed  in  1786,  British 
subjects  were  prohibited  from  owning  foreign-built 
vessels.  This  act  was  regarded  as  one  of  the  Navi- 
gation Laws,  and  was  repealed  with  them. 

One  of  the  objects  of  the  repeal  of  the  Navigation 
Laws  was  to  enable  British  ship-owners  to  become 


94  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

the  ocean  carriers  of  the  world,  and  to  remove 
every  restraint  as  to  where  they  should  build  or 
buy  their  ships.  This  step  was  a  natural  sequence 
to  the  repeal  of  the  Corn  Laws  in  1846,  and  the 
glorious  dawn  of  Free  Trade,  by  which  every  Brit- 
ish subject  was  permitted  to  purchase  whatever  he 
required  in  the  best  and  cheapest  market,  and  so 
was  able  to  work  at  a  moderate  wage,  and  to  have 
continuous  employment.  Thus  Great  Britain,  with 
few  natural  advantages,  became  the  great  workshop 
of  the  world  and  controlled  every  market  upon  the 
globe  in  which  her  manufactures  were  not  excluded 
by  the  barrier  of  Protection.  Even  from  these 
countries  she  reaped  a  decided  benefit,  for  they 
were  so  hampered  by  Protection,  which  increased 
the  expense  of  living,  created  high  rates  of  wages 
for  labor  but  with  uncertain  employment,  and 
brought  about  increased  cost  of  production,  whether 
of  ships  or  merchandise,  that  it  became  impossible 
for  them  to  compete  in  the  open  markets  of  the 
world,  and  these  avenues  of  trade  were  left  open 
for  Great  Britain  to  exploit  at  her  pleasure. 

Such  was  the  belief  of  the  great  leader,  Richard 
Cobden,  and  his  brilliant  colleagues.  They  were 
convinced  that  if  British  merchants  were  to  carry 
on  the  commerce  of  Great  Britain  they  must  do  so 
untrammelled  as  to  where  they  bought  or  built 
their  ships;  they  realized  the  fact  that  cheaper  and 
better  wooden  sailing  vessels — then  the  ocean  cargo 
carriers  of  the  world — were  being  built  in  the  United 
States  than  could  be  constructed  in  Great  Britain. 
(Indeed,  as  we  shall  presently  see,  the  finest,  larg- 
est, and  fastest  ships  owned  or  chartered  in  Great 


Repeal  of  Navigation  Laws  95 

Britain  between  the  years  1850  and  1857,  came  from 
the  shipyards  of  the  United  States.)  They  fully 
recognized  the  importance  of  the  home  ship-building 
industry,  and  did  everything  possible  to  encourage 
it,  but  they  also  perceived  that  ship-owning  is  of 
vastly  more  importance  to  a  nation  than  ship- 
building, and  that  fleets  of  ships  are  not  commerce 
but  only  the  instruments  with  which  commerce  per- 
forms its  work;  likewise,  that  the  nation  owning 
the  best  and  cheapest  ships,  no  matter  where  or 
by  whom  built,  must  and  will,  other  things  being 
equal,  do  not  only  most  of  its  own  carrying  trade, 
but  also  a  considerable  portion  of  that  of  other 
nations.  These  men  were  not  willing  any  longer 
to  sacrifice  the  carrying  trade  of  their  country  in 
order  that  a  few  comparatively  unimportant  ship- 
builders, grown  incompetent  through  long  years  of 
monopoly,  might  continue  to  thrive  at  the  expense 
of  the  nation. 

No  people  excel  the  English  in  courage  and  re- 
source in  times  of  national  trouble,  and  they  had 
long  before  this  fought  battles  for  freedom — free- 
dom of  thought,  freedom  of  speech,  freedom  of  the 
press,  freedom  of  the  slave,  freedom  to  worship  God, 
— and  now  the  final  contest  for  freedom,  the 
freedom  of  trade,  had  been  bravely  fought  and  won. 
The  result,  of  course,  was  not  immediate,  as  it  re- 
quired several  years  to  recover  from  the  evil  effects 
of  two  centuries  of  Protection.  The  fruits  of  vic- 
tories for  freedom  rarely  ripen  quickly,  and  in  this 
instance  the  records  show  that  the  increase  of  Brit- 
ish shipping  for  the  year  before  the  repeal  of  the 
Navigation  Laws  had  been  393,955  tons,  while  dur- 


g6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

ing  the  year  following  there  had  been  a  decrease  of 
180,576  tons ;  also  that  foreign  vessels  arriving  from 
foreign  ports  increased  from  75,278  tons  to  364,587 
tons  in  these  years.  It  was  therefore  natural  that 
there  should  be  a  feeling  of  despondency  through- 
out Great  Britain  among  those  who  had  opposed 
the  repeal,  for  they  thought  that  their  fears  were 
being  realized,  and  that  the  over-sea  carrying  trade, 
which  they  had  regarded  as  their  own,  was  being 
taken  from  them.  In  this  hour  of  gloom  the  stout- 
hearted ship-owners  of  London  and  Liverpool  re- 
solved that  England  should  again  become  Mistress 
of  the  Sea,  and  so  competition,  the  stimulus  needed 
to  rouse  their  latent  abilities,  was  the  instrument 
of  their  salvation. 

The  first  American  ship  to  carry  a  cargo  of  tea 
from  China  to  England  after  the  repeal  of  the 
Navigation  Laws  was  the  clipper  Oriental^  of  1003 
tons,  built  for  A.  A.  Low  &  Brother  in  1849,  by 
Jacob  Bell,  who  continued  in  the  ship-building 
business  after  the  firm  of  Bro^Ti  &  Bell  was  dis- 
solved in  1848.  This  ship's  length  was  185  feet, 
breadth  36  feet,  depth  21  feet.  She  sailed  from 
New  York  on  her  first  voyage,  commanded  hj  Cap- 
tain N.  B.  Palmer,  September  14,  1849,  and  arrived 
at  Hong-kong  by  the  Eastern  passages  in  109  days. 
She  discharged,  took  on  board  a  full  cargo  of  tea  for 
New  York,  sailed  January  30, 1850,  and  arrived  April 
21st,  81  days'  passage.  This  was  Captain  Palmer's 
last  command,  though  he  lived  many  years,  as  we 
have  seen,  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  toil  upon  the  sea. 

The  Oriental  sailed  on  her  second  voyage  from 
New  York  for  China,  May  19,  1850,  under  the  com- 


The  **  Oriental*'  97 

mand  of  Captain  Theodore  Palmer,  a  younger 
brother  of  Captain  Nat,  and  was  25  days  to  the 
equator;  she  passed  the  meridian  of  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  45  days  out,  Java  Head  71  days  out, 
and  arrived  at  Hongkong,  August  8th,  81  days  from 
New  York.  She  was  at  once  chartered  through 
Russell  &  Co.  to  load  a  cargo  of  tea  for  London 
at  £6  per  ton  of  40  cubic  feet,  while  British  ships 
were  waiting  for  cargoes  for  London  at  £'>  :10  per  ton 
of  50  cubic  feet.  She  sailed  August  28th,  and  beat 
down  the  China  Sea  against  a  strong  southwest 
monsoon  in  21  days  to  Anjer,  arrived  off  the  Lizard 
in  91  days,  and  was  moored  in  the  West  India  Docks, 
London,  97  days  from  Hong-kong — a  passage  from 
China  never  before  equalled  in  point  of  speed,  es- 
pecially against  the  southwest  monsoon,  and  rarely 
surpassed  since.  She  delivered  1600  tons  of  tea, 
and  her  freight  from  Hong-kong  amounted  to 
£9600,  or  some  |48,000.  Her  first  cost  ready  for 
sea  was  |70,000.  From  the  date  of  her  first  sail- 
ing from  New  York,  September  14,  1849,  to  arrival 
at  London,  December  3,  1850,  the  Oriental  had 
sailed  a  distance  of  67,000  miles,  and  had  during 
that  time  been  at  sea  367  days,  an  average  in  all 
weathers  of  183  miles  per  day. 

Throngs  of  people  visited  the  West  India  Docks 
to  look  at  the  Oriental.  They  certainly  saw  a 
beautiful  ship;  every  line  of  her  long,  black  hull 
indicated  power  and  speed;  her  tall  raking  masts 
and  skysail-yards  towered  above  the  spars  of  the 
shipping  in  the  docks;  her  white  cotton  sails  were 
neatly  furled  under  bunt,  quarter,  and  yardarm  gas- 
kets; while  her  topmast,  topgallant,  and  royal  stud- 


98  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

dingsail  booms  and  long,  heavy,  lower  studdingsail 
booms  swung  in  along  her  rails,  gave  an  idea  of 
the  enormous  spread  of  canvas  held  in  reserve  for 
light  and  moderate  leading  winds;  her  blocks, 
standing  and  running  rigging  were  neatly  fitted 
to  stand  great  stress  and  strain,  but  with  no  un- 
necessary top-hamper,  or  weight  aloft.  On  deck 
everything  was  for  use;  the  spare  spars,  scraped 
bright  and  varnished,  were  neatly  lashed  along  the 
waterways ;  the  inner  side  of  the  bulwarks,  the  rails 
and  the  deck-houses  were  painted  pure  white;  the 
hatch  combings,  skylights,  pin-rails,  and  compan- 
ions were  of  Spanish  mahogany;  the  narrow  planks 
of  her  clear  pine  deck,  with  the  gratings  and  lad- 
ders, were  scrubbed  and  holystoned  to  the  whiteness 
of  cream;  the  brass  capstan  heads,  bells,  belaying 
pins,  gangway  stanchions,  and  brasswork  about  the 
wheel,  binnacle,  and  skylights  were  of  glittering 
brightness.  Throughout  she  was  a  triumph  of  the 
shipwright's  and  seaman's  toil  and  skill. 

No  ship  like  the  Oriental  had  even  been  seen  in 
England,  and  the  ship-owners  of  London  were  con- 
strained to  admit  that  they  had  nothing  to  compare 
with  her  in  speed,  beauty  of  model,  rig,  or  construc- 
tion. It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  the  arrival 
of  this  vessel  in  London  with  her  cargo  of  tea  in 
this  crisis  in  1850,  aroused  almost  as  much  appre- 
hension and  excitement  in  Great  Britain  as  was 
created  by  the  memorable  Tea  Party  held  in  Boston 
harbor  in  1773.  The  Admiralty  obtained  permis- 
sion to  take  off  her  lines  in  dry  dock;  the  Illus- 
trated London  News  jjublished  her  portrait,  not  a 
very  good  one  by  the  way;  and  the  Times  honored 


The  **  Oriental"  99 

her  arrival   by   a  leader,  which  ended  with   these 
brave,  wise  words: 

"  The  rapid  increase  of  population  in  the  United 
States,  augmented  by  an  annual  immigration  of 
nearly  three  hundred  thousand  from  these  isles,  is 
a  fact  that  forces  itself  on  the  notice  and  interest 
of  the  most  unobservant  and  uncurious.  All  these 
promise  to  develop  the  resources  of  the  United 
States  to  such  an  extent  as  to  compel  us  to  a 
competition  as  difficult  as  it  is  unavoidable.  We 
must  run  a  race  with  our  gigantic  and  unshackled 
rival.  We  must  set  our  long-practised  skill,  our 
steady  industry,  and  our  dogged  determination, 
against  his  youth,  ingenuity,  and  ardor.  It  is  a 
father  who  runs  a  race  with  his  son.  A  fell  neces- 
sity constrains  us  and  we  must  not  be  beat.  Let 
our  ship-builders  and  employers  take  warning  in 
time.  There  will  always  be  an  abundant  supply 
of  vessels,  good  enough  and  fast  enough  for  short 
voyages.  The  coal-trade  can  take  care  of  itself,  for 
it  will  always  be  a  refuge  for  the  destitute.  But 
we  want  fast  vessels  for  the  long  voyages,  which 
otherwise  will  fall  into  American  hands.  It  is  for- 
tunate that  the  Navigation  Laws  have  been  repealed 
in  time  to  destroy  these  false  and  unreasonable 
expectations,  which  might  have  lulled  the  ardor  of 
British  competition.  We  now  all  start  together 
with  a  fair  field  and  no  favor.  The  American  cap- 
tain can  call  at  London,  and  the  British  captain 
can  pursue  his  voyage  to  New  York.  Who  can  com- 
plain? Not  we.  We  trust  that  our  countrymen 
will  not  be  beaten ;  but  if  they  should  be,  we  shall 
know  that  they  deserve  it." 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE    RUSH    FOR    CALIFORNIA — A    SAILING    DAY 

THE  world  has  seldom  witnessed  so  gigantic  a 
migration  of  human  beings,  by  land  and  sea, 
from  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  as  that  which 
poured  into  California  in  1848  and  the  years  fol- 
lowing. San  Francisco,  from  a  drowsy,  Mexican 
trading  station,  composed  of  a  cluster  of  some  fifty 
mud  huts,  adobe  dwellings,  and  hide  houses,  sit- 
uated upon  a  magnificent  bay  with  lofty  moun- 
tains in  the  distance,  occasionally  enlivened  by  the 
visit  of  a  New  Bedford  or  Nantucket  whale  ship  in 
need  of  wood  and  water,  or  a  Boston  hide  droger 
which  took  away  tallow,  hides,  and  horns,  suddenly 
became  one  of  the  great  seaports  of  the  world. 

From  April  1,  1847,  to  the  same  date  in  1848, 
two  ships,  one  barque  and  one  brig  arrived  at  San 
Francisco  from  Atlantic  ports,  and  in  the  course 
of  this  year  nine  American  whalers  called  in  there. 
In  1849,  775  vessels  cleared  from  Atlantic  ports 
for  San  Francisco;  242  ships,  218  barques,  170  brigs, 
132  schooners,  and  12  steamers.  New  York  sent 
214  vessels,  Boston  151,  New  Bedford  42,  Baltimore 
38,  New  Orleans  32,  Philadelphia  31,  Salem  23, 
Bath  19,  Bangor  13,  New  London  17,  Providence 
11,  Eastport  10,  and  Nantucket  8.     Almost  every 

100 


The  Rush  for  California  loi 

seaport  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  sent  one  or  more 
vessels,  and  they  all  carried  passengers.  The 
schooner  Eureka  sailed  from  Cleveland,  Ohio,  for 
San  Francisco  via  the  River  St.  Lawrence,  Sep- 
tember 28,  1849,  and  carried  fifty-three  passengers, 
among  whom  were  two  families  from  Cleveland. 
Many  of  these  vessels  never  reached  California; 
some  of  them  put  into  ports  of  refuge  disabled  and 
in  distress;  while  others  were  never  heard  from. 
Most  of  the  ships  that  did  arrive  at  San  Francisco 
made  long,  weary  voyages,  their  passengers  and 
crews  suffering  sore  hardships  and  privations. 

In  the  year  1849,  91,405  passengers  landed  at  San 
Francisco  from  various  ports  of  the  world,  of  al- 
most every  nationality  under  the  sun  and  represent- 
ing some  of  the  best  and  some  of  the  worst  types 
of  men  and  women.  The  officers  and  crews,  with 
hardly  an  exception,  hurried  to  the  mines,  leaving 
their  ships  to  take  care  of  themselves;  in  some 
instances  the  crews  did  not  even  wait  long  enough 
to  stow  the  sails  and  be  paid  off,  so  keen  w^ere  they 
to  join  the  wild  race  for  gold.  Many  of  these 
vessels  never  left  the  harbor;  over  one  hundred 
were  turned  into  store  ships,  while  others  were  con- 
verted into  hotels,  hospitals,  and  prisons,  or  grad- 
ually perished  by  decay. 

The  first  vessel,  and  one  of  the  few  of  the  Cali- 
fornia fleet  of  1849,  which  escaped  from  San 
Francisco,  was  the  ship  South  Carolina,  This  ves- 
sel sailed  from  New  York,  January  24,  1849,  and 
returned  via  Valparaiso  with  a  cargo  of  copper  to 
Boston,  where  she  arrived  February  20,  1850,  after 
a  voyage  out  and  home  of  some  thirteen  months. 


102  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

A  letter  from  San  Francisco  to  the  New  York 
Herald,  dated  February  28,  1850,  states  that  wages 
for  seamen  were  then  from  |125  to  |200  per  month. 
There  used  to  be  a  humorous  yarn  spun  among  sea- 
men to  the  effect  that  during  the  "  flush  times,"  as 
those  glorious  days  of  the  gold  fever  were  called, 
sailors  required  a  captain  to  produce  a  recommenda- 
tion from  his  last  crew  before  they  would  ship 
with  him  or  sign  articles.  However  this  may  be, 
it  is  a  fact  that  as  late  as  1854,  it  was  so  difficult 
to  induce  crews  to  leave  San  Francisco  that  cap- 
tains were  frequently  obliged  to  ship  men  out  of 
jail,  whether  they  were  sailors  or  not,  in  order  to 
get  their  ships  to  sea. 

The  gold  mines  exerted  an  irresistible  attraction, 
and  for  a  time  the  town  was  almost  deserted,  except 
for  those  passing  through  on  their  way  to  and  from 
the  mines.  By  degrees,  however,  it  became  appar- 
ent to  some  that  more  gold-dust  was  to  be  collected 
at  San  Francisco  in  business  than  by  digging  among 
the  mountains,  and  with  admirable  energy  they 
set  about  transforming  this  lawless  camp  into  a 
prosperous  trading  city. 

Prior  to  1848,  California  had  been  for  all  prac- 
tical purposes  almost  uninhabited,  and  now  was 
utterly  unable  to  provide  for  the  needs  of  her  vastly 
increased  population.  The  newcomers  produced 
plenty  of  gold,  but  nothing  else,  and  they  frequently 
found  themselves  on  the  brink  of  starvation.  They 
were  too  busy  with  pick  and  shovel  to  contribute 
anything  in  the  form  of  manufactures  or  supplies, 
so  that  the  most  ordinary  articles  of  every-day  use, 
to  say  nothing  of  comforts  and  luxuries,  had  to  be 


The  Rush  for  California  103 

brought  from  places  thousands  of  miles  distant. 
This  precarious  means  of  supply,  together  with  the 
enormous  and  reckless  purchasing  power  developed 
by  the  rapid  production  of  gold  from  the  mines, 
naturally  created  a  speculative  and  artificial  stand- 
ard of  values,  and  goods  of  every  description  sold 
for  fabulous  amounts:  Beef,  pork,  and  flour 
brought  from  |40  to  |60  per  barrel ;  tea,  coffee,  and 
sugar,  |4  a  pound;  spirits,  |10  to  $40  a  quart; 
playing-cards,  |5  a  pack;  cowhide  boots,  $45  a 
pair ;  picks  and  shovels  from  $5  to  |15  each ;  wooden 
and  tin  bowls  from  |2.50  to  $7.50  each;  laudanum, 
$1  a  drop,  and  so  on.  These  were  by  no  means 
high  prices  for  stevedores  and  laborers  receiving 
from  $20  to  $30  a  day,  and  miners  who  were  making 
anywhere  from  $100  to  $1000  a  day  washing  dirt  at 
the  mines. 

An  idea  of  the  amount  of  gold  produced  may  be 
gained  from  the  fact  that  the  Pacific  Mail  Com- 
pany, whose  first  steamship,  the  California,  arrived 
at  San  Francisco  via  the  Straits  of  Magellan,  Feb- 
ruary 28,  1849,  had  by  the  end  of  1852  shipped 
gold  from  that  city  to  the  value  of  $121,766,425. 

The  speculators  and  shippers  of  merchandise  in 
the  Eastern  States  were  as  deeply  interested  in  the 
output  of  the  mines  of  California  as  the  gold  diggers 
themselves.  No  one  could  predict  how  long  this 
state  of  affairs  would  continue;  with  th-em  speed 
meant  everything;  a  week  or  even  a  day's  delay 
might  result  in  heavy  losses,  or  what  was  to  them 
the  same  thing,  failure  to  reap  large  profits.  They 
could  not  send  their  goods  across  the  continent, 
and  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  had  all  that  it  could 


104  Tl^^  Clipper  Ship  Era 

attend  to  in  conveying  passengers  and  the  mails 
across  the  Isthmus;  so  that  the  only  means  of 
transportation  from  the  Atlantic  States  to  San 
Francisco  was  round  Cape  Horn.  Under  these  cir- 
cumstances one  can  easily  understand  how  the  rates 
of  freight  advanced  to  extravagant  figures,  and 
created  a  demand  under  which  the  California 
clippers  came  into  existence. 

In  these  days  of  thrifty  transportation  by  sea, 
when  coal  shovels  have  superseded  watch-tackles, 
and  ship-owners  are  expected  to  look  cheerful  with 
steamship  rates  at  |14.00  a  ton  from  New  York  to 
San  Francisco,  and  |12.00  a  ton  from  New  York  to 
Melbourne  or  Hong-kong,  the  rates  of  freight  that 
the  clipper  ships  earned  from  New  York  to  San 
Francisco  seem  almost  incredible.  In  1850  the 
Samuel  Russell  received  |1.50  per  cubic  foot,  or 
$60  per  ton  of  40  cubic  feet.  She  registered  940 
tons,  and  being  a  very  sharp  ship  would  probably 
carry  not  more  than  1200  tons  of  California  cargo. 
But  even  so,  her  freight  would  amount  to  |72,000, 
or  a  little  more  than  her  first  cost  ready  for  sea. 
The  other  clippers  at  first  received  the  same  rate, 
but  by  degrees,  as  they  increased  in  tonnage  and  in 
number,  the  rates  of  freight  declined  to  |50  per 
ton,  and  then  to  |40  where  they  remained  for  a 
considerable  time. 

The  California  clipper  period  covers  the  years 
1850-18G0,  during  the  first  four  of  which  nearly 
all  of  these  famous  ships,  numbering  one  hundred 
and  sixty,  were  built.  (See  Appendix  I.)  Most  of 
them  were  launched  at  or  near  New  York  and  Bos- 
ton, though  some  were  built  elsewhere,  Richmond, 


The  Rush  for  California  105 

Baltimore,  Mystic,  Medford,  Newburyport,  Ports- 
mouth, Portland,  Rockland,  Bath,  and  other  ports 
contributing  to  the  fleet.  These  splendid  ships — 
the  swiftest  sailing  vessels  that  the  world  has  even 
seen  or  is  likely  ever  to  see — sailed  their  great 
ocean  matches  for  the  stake  of  commercial  su- 
premacy and  the  championship  of  the  seas,  over 
courses  encircling  the  globe,  and  their  records, 
made  more  than  half  a  century  ago,  still  stand 
unsurpassed. 

After  carrying  their  cargoes  to  California  at  the 
enormous  rates  we  have  given,  these  ships  would 
return  round  Cape  Horn  in  ballast  for  another 
cargo  at  the  same  rate,  as  they  could  well  afford 
to  do,  or  would  cross  the  Pacific  in  ballast  and 
load  tea  for  London  or  New  York.  Many  of  them 
more  than  cleared  their  original  cost  in  less  than 
one  year,  during  a  voyage  round  the  globe,  after 
deducting  all  expenses. 

The  central  points  about  which  the  great  s!np- 
owning  interests  collected  were  New  York  and  Bos- 
ton. Here,  too,  were  the  most  famous  shipyards. 
All  along  the  harbor  front  at  East  Boston  and  the 
water-front  of  the  East  River  from  Pike  Street  to 
the  foot  of  Tenth  Street,  New  York,  were  to  be  seen 
splendid  clipper  ships  in  every  stage  of  construc- 
tion ;  and  beside  the  ship-building  yards,  there  were 
rigging-lofts,  sail-lofts,  the  shops  of  boat-builders, 
block-  and  pump-makers,  painters,  carvers,  and 
gilders,  iron,  brass,  and  copper  workers,  mast-  and 
spar-makers,  and  ship  stores  of  all  kinds,  where 
everything  required  on  shipboard,  from  a  palm  and 
needle,  a  marlinspike  or  a  ball  of  spun  yarn,  to 


io6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

anchors  and  chains,  was  to  be  found.  The  ship- 
yards were  great  thriving  hives  of  industry,  where 
hundreds  of  sledge-hammers,  top  mauls,  and  caulk- 
ing mallets,  swung  by  the  arms  of  skilful  American 
mechanics,  rung  out  a  mighty  chorus,  and  the  fresh 
odor  of  rough-hewn  timber,  seething  Carolina  pitch, 
and  Stockholm  tar  filled  the  air  with  healthful 
fragrance.  They  were  unique  and  interesting  lo- 
calities, the  like  of  which  have  never  existed  else- 
where— now  long  passed  away  and  all  but  forgotten. 

The  principal  shipping  merchants  in  New  York 
were  William  T.  Coleman  &  Co.,  Wells  &  Emanuel, 
Sutton  &  Co.,  John  I.  Earl,  and  James  Smith  &  Son, 
all  of  whom  managed  San  Francisco  lines  and  usu- 
ally had  one  or  ^  clippers  on  the  berth,  loading 
night  and  day  i  c  ^Jalifornia.  The  old  Piers  8,  9, 
and  10,  along  t!  ^  1-  ast  River,  were  scenes  of  great 
activity,  and  th  ng?;  of  people  visited  them  to  see 
these  ships.  At  all  he  seaports  along  the  Atlantic 
coast,  almost  ev-  fy  ouv;  knew  something  and  most 
persons  knew  a  g  'fJ  d*  al  about  ships.  They  were 
a  matter  of  gre  i  ;  )rtance  to  the  community, 
for  as  late  as  18i  nearly  all  the  large  fortunes  in 
the  United  Stater  I     .  ueen  made  in  shipping. 

The  captains  and  officers  of  the  California  clip- 
pers were  as  a  class  men  of  integrity,  energy,  and 
skill,  nearly  all  of  them  being  of  the  best  Pilgrim 
and  Puritan  stock  of  New  England,  and  trained  to 
the  sea  from  boyhood.  Many  of  them  were  the  sons 
of  merchants  and  professional  men,  well  known  and 
respected  in  the  communities  in  which  they  lived. 
Their  ships  carried  large  crews,  besides  being  fitted 
with   every    appliance    for   saving    labor:    fly-wheel 


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The  Rush  for  California  107 

pumps,  gjpsy  winches,  gun-metal  roller  bushes  in 
the  sheaves  of  the  brace,  reef  tackle  and  halliard 
blocks,  geared  capstans,  and  plenty  of  the  best 
stores  and  provisions,  with  spare  spars,  sails, 
blocks,  and  rigging  in  abundance.  The  owners 
fitted  out  their  vessels  with  rational  economy  and 
looked  to  their  captains,  whom  they  rewarded  lib- 
erally, to  see  that  nothing  was  wasted  and  that 
the  ships  performed  their  voyages  quickly  and  well. 
There  was  no  allowance  of  food,  as  on  British 
ships,  on  board  the  American  clippers;  a  barrel  of 
beef,  pork,  bread,  or  flour  was  supposed  to  last 
about  so  many  days,  according  to  the  ship's  com- 
pany; a  little  more  or  less  did  not  matter.  The 
water  was  in  charge  of  the  carpenter,  and  was 
usually  carried  in  an  iron  tank  which  rested  on 
the  keelson  abaft  the  mainmast  and  came  up  to 
the  main  deck.  This  tank  was  in  the  form  of  a 
cylinder,  and  held  from  three  to  four  thousand 
gallons ;  some  of  the  larger  ships  carried  their  water 
in  two  of  these  tanks.  Each  morning  at  sea,  water 
equal  to  one  gallon  for  every  person  on  board  was 
pumped  out  of  the  tank  and  placed  in  a  scuttle- 
butt on  deck;  the  carpenter  then  made  a  report 
of  the  number  of  gallons  remaining  in  the  tank  to 
the  chief  officer,  who  entered  it  in  the  log-book. 
During  the  day  the  crew  took  the  water  they  needed 
from  the  scuttle-butt,  the  cook  and  steward  what 
they  required  for  the  galley  and  aft ;  and  while  there 
was  no  stint,  woe  to  the  man  who  wasted  fresh 
water  at  sea  in  those  days,  for  if  he  managed  to 
escape  the  just  wrath  of  the  officers,  his  shipmates 
were  pretty  sure  to  take  care  of  him.     The  salt 


io8  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

beef  and  pork  were  kept  in  a  harness  cask  abaft 
the  mainmast,  and  when  a  fresh  barrel  of  provi- 
sions was  to  be  opened,  the  harness  cask  was 
scrubbed  and  scalded  out  with  boiling  water,  and  so 
was  always  sweet  and  clean.  The  cooks  and  stew- 
ards were  almost  invariably  negroes,  and  it  is  to 
be  regretted  that  there  are  not  more  like  them  at 
the  present  time — especially  the  cooks.  "  Plenty  of 
work,  plenty  to  eat,  and  good  pay,"  is  what  sailor- 
men  used  to  say  of  American  clippers,  the  sort  of 
ships  on  board  of  which  good  seamen  liked  to  sail. 

The  forecastle  on  board  the  old  type  of  vessels 
was  in  the  forepeak,  below  the  main  deck,  a  damp, 
ill-ventilated  hole,  but  in  the  California  clippers  it 
was  in  a  large  house  on  deck  between  the  fore-  and 
main-masts,  divided  fore  and  aft  amidships  by  a 
bulkhead,  so  that  each  watch  had  a  separate  fore- 
castle, well  ventilated  and  with  plenty  of  light. 
There  was  nothing  to  prevent  a  crew  from  being 
comfortable  enough;  it  depended  entirely  upon 
themselves.  Indeed,  there  were  no  ships  afloat  at 
that  period  where  the  crews  were  so  well  paid  and 
cared  for  as  on  board  the  American  clippers.  Sea- 
men who  knew  their  duties  and  were  willing  to 
perform  them  fared  far  better  than  on  board  the 
ships  of  any  other  nationality. 

Perhaps,  the  most  marked  difference  between 
American  merchant  ships  and  those  of  other  nations 
was  in  regard  to  the  use  of  wine  and  spirits.  On 
board  British  ships  grog  was  served  out  regularly 
to  the  men  before  the  mast,  and  the  captain  and 
officers  were  allowed  wine  money.  Nothing  of  this 
sort  was  permitted  on  American   vessels.     Robert 


A  Sailing  Day  109 

Minturn,  of  the  firm  of  Grinnell,  Minturn  &  Co.,  in 
his  evidence  before  a  parliamentary  committee  in 
1848,  stated  that  teetotalism  not  only  was  encour- 
aged by  American  ship-owners,  but  actually  earned  a 
bonus  from  underwriters,  who  offered  a  return  of  ten 
per  cent  of  the  insurance  premium  upon  voyages 
performed  without  the  consumption  of  spirits.  On 
board  the  packet  ships  and  other  vessels  which  car- 
ried passengers,  there  was  always  wine  on  the  cap- 
tain's table,  but  the  captain  and  officers  rarely  made 
use  of  it.  The  sailors  were  allowed  plenty  of  hot 
coffee,  night  or  day,  in  heavy  weather,  but  grog  was 
unknown  on  board  American  merchant  ships. 

In  those  days,  after  a  New  York  clipper  had 
finished  loading,  it  was  the  custom  for  her  to  drop 
down  the  East  River  and  anchor  off  Battery  Park, 
then  a  fashionable  resort,  where  she  would  remain 
for  a  few  hours  to  take  her  crew  on  board  and 
usually  to  ship  from  five  to  ten  tons  of  gunpowder, 
a  part  of  her  cargo  that  was  stowed  in  the  main 
hatch,  to  be  easily  handled  in  case  of  fire.  Tow- 
boats  were  not  as  plentiful  in  New  York  harbor 
as  at  present,  and  unless  the  wind  was  ahead  or 
calm,  the  clippers  seldom  made  use  of  them,  for 
with  a  leading  breeze  these  ships  would  sail  to 
and  from  Sandy  Hook  much  faster  than  they  could 
be  towed.  One  of  the  clippers  getting  under  way 
off  Battery  Park  was  a  beautiful  sight,  and  an  event 
in  which  a  large  part  of  the  community  was 
interested. 

The  people  who  gathered  at  Battery  Park  to  see 
a  clipper  ship  get  under  way,  came  partly  to  hear 
the  sailors  sing  their  sea  songs,  or  chanties,  which 


no  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

were  an  important  part  of  sea  life  in  those  days, 
giving  a  zest  and  cheeriness  on  shipboard,  which 
nothing  else  could  supply.  It  used  to  be  said  that 
a  good  chanty  man  was  worth  four  men  in  a  watch, 
and  this  was  true,  for  when  a  crew  knocked  off 
chantying,  there  was  something  wrong — the  ship 
seemed  lifeless.  These  songs  originated  early  in  the 
nineteenth  century,  with  the  negro  stevedores  at 
Mobile  and  New  Orleans,  who  sung  them  while 
screwing  cotton  bales  into  the  holds  of  the  Ameri- 
can packet  ships ;  this  was  where  the  packet  sailors 
learned  them.  The  words  had  a  certain  uncouth, 
fantastic  meaning,  evidently  the  product  of  unde- 
veloped intelligence,  but  there  was  a  wild,  inspiring 
ring  in  the  melodies,  and,  after  a  number  of  years, 
they  became  unconsciously  influenced  by  the  pun- 
gent, briny  odor  and  surging  roar  and  rhythm  of 
the  ocean,  and  howling  gales  at  sea.  Landsmen 
have  tried  in  vain  to  imitate  them;  the  result  being 
no  more  like  genuine  sea  songs  than  skimmed  milk 
is  like  Jamaica  rum. 

There  were  a  great  many  Whitehall  boats  kept  at 
the  lower  end  of  the  Park,  and  the  Battery  boatmen 
were  fine  oarsmen.  Bill  Decker,  Tom  Daw,  Steve 
Roberts,  and  Andy  Fay  being  famous  scullers. 
There  were  some  smart  four-  and  six-oared  crews 
among  them  which  used  to  swoop  down  and  pick 
up  the  valuable  prizes  offered  by  the  Boston  city 
fathers  for  competition  each  Fourth  of  July  on  the 
Charles  River,  but  the  convivial  life  which  the  gay 
Battery  boatmen  led  did  not  improve  their  rowing, 
and  in  1856  they  were  defeated  by  the  famous 
Neptune  crew,  of  St.  John,  N.  B.,  in  a  match  rowed 


A  Sailing  Day  in 

on  the  Charles  River  for  the  stake  of  $5000,  and 
later  were  quite  eclipsed  by  the  even  more  famous 
Ward  crew  of  Newburgh. 

The  time  when  these  men  really  had  to  work,  was 
on  the  sailing  day  of  a  California  clipper.  A  busy 
scene  it  was,  as  they  put  the  crew  and  their  dun- 
nage on  board,  one  or  two  lots  at  a  time,  accom- 
panied by  a  boarding-house  runner,  the  sailormen 
being  in  various  stages  of  exalted  inebriation.  The 
helpless  in  body  and  mind  are  hauled  over  the  side  in 
bowlines  and  stowed  away  in  their  berths  to  regain 
the  use  of  their  limbs  and  senses.  These  men  have 
been  drugged  and  robbed  of  their  three  months' 
advance  wages  and  most  of  their  clothing.  In  a 
few  hours  they  will  come  to,  and  find  themselves  at 
sea  on  board  of  a  ship  whose  name  they  never 
heard,  with  no  idea  to  what  part  of  the  globe  they 
are  bound.  A  receipt  is  given  for  each  man  by  the 
mate,  who  considers  himself  fortunate  if  he  can 
muster  two  thirds  of  his  crew  able  to  stand  up  and 
heave  on  a  capstan  bar  or  pull  on  a  rope.  The 
probable  condition  of  the  crew  is  so  well  known 
and  expected  that  a  gang  of  longshoremen  is  on 
board  to  lend  a  hand  in  getting  the  ship  under  way. 
The  more  provident  of  the  seamen  bring  well-stocked 
sea  chests;  the  less  thoughtful  find  moderate-sized 
canvas  bags  quite  large  enough  to  hold  their  pos- 
sessions; one  mariner  carries  his  outfit  for  the  Cape 
Horn  voyage  tied  up  in  a  nice  bandanna  handker- 
chief, the  parting  gift  of  a  Cherry  Street  damsel 
— who  keeps  the  change.  Jack  is  in  a  jovial,  tipsy 
humor,  and  appears  to  be  well  satisfied  with  his 
investment. 


112  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

This  is  an  anxious  day  for  the  mate,  for,  while 
he  receives  his  instructions  from  the  captain  in  a 
general  way,  yet  every  detail  of  getting  the  ship 
to  sea  is  in  his  hands;  and  though  he  seems  care- 
less and  unconcerned,  his  nerves  are  on  edge  and 
every  sense  alert;  his  eyes  are  all  over  the  ship. 
He  is  sizing  up  each  man  in  his  crew  and  getting 
his  gauge;  when  he  strikes  a  chord  of  sympathy,  he 
strikes  hard,  and  when  his  keen  instinct  detects  a 
note  of  discord,  he  strikes  still  harder,  lifting  his 
men  along  with  a  curse  here,  a  joke  there,  and  ever 
tightening  his  firm  but  not  unkindly  grasp  of  author- 
ity. The  mate  is  not  hunting  for  trouble — all  that 
he  wants  is  for  his  men  to  do  their  work  and  show 
him  enough  respect  so  that  it  will  not  become  his  un- 
pleasant duty  to  hammer  them  into  shape.  He 
knows  that  this  is  his  day,  and  that  it  is  the  decisive 
day  of  the  voyage,  for  before  the  ship  passes  out 
by  Sandy  Hook  his  moral  victory  will  be  lost  or 
won,  with  no  appeal  to  Admiralty  Boards  or  Courts 
of  Justice.  He  knows,  too,  that  a  score  of  other 
mates  and  their  captains  are  looking  on  with  keen 
interest  to  see  how  he  handles  his  crew,  and  their 
opinion  is  of  far  greater  value  to  him  than  the 
decrees  of  Senates;  so  he  intends  to  lay  himself 
out  and  give  them  something  worth  looking  at. 

There  is  a  crisp  northeasterly  breeze,  and  the  blue 
waters  of  the  bay  dance  and  frolic  in  the  sweet 
June  sunshine.  The  crew  are  all  on  board,  with 
the  captain  and  pilot  in  consultation  on  the  quarter- 
deck; it  is  nearly  high  water,  and  the  tide  will  soon 
run  ebb.  The  mate  takes  charge  of  the  topgallant 
forecastle,  with  the  third  mate  and  the  boatswain 


o 


a, 
o 


A  Sailing  Day  113 

to  assist  him,  while  the  second  mate,  with  the 
fourth  mate  and  boatswain's  mate  work  the  main 
deck  and  stand  by  to  look  after  the  chain  as  it 
comes  in  over  the  windlass. 

As  the  crew  muster  on  the  forecastle  they  appear 
to  be  a  motley  gang,  mostly  British  and  Scandina- 
vian, with  a  sprinkling  of  Spaniards,  Portuguese,  and 
Italians,  and  one  or  two  Americans.  Some  wear 
thick,  coarse,  red,  blue,  or  gray  flannel  shirts,  others 
blue  dungaree  jumpers,  or  cotton  shirts  of  various 
colors;  their  trousers  are  in  a  variety  of  drabs, 
blues,  grays,  and  browns,  supported  by  leather  belts 
or  braces ;  they  wear  stiff  or  soft  felt  hats  or  woollen 
caps  of  many  colors.  But  no  clothes  that  were  ever 
invented  could  disguise  these  men;  their  bronzed, 
weather-beaten  faces  and  sun-baked,  tattooed  arms, 
with  every  swing  of  their  bodies,  betray  them  as 
sailormen,  and  good  ones  too,  above  the  average 
even  in  those  days.  They  would  no  more  submit  to 
being  put  into  uniforms  or  to  the  cut-and-dried  dis- 
cipline of  a  man-of-war,  than  they  would  think  of 
eating  their  food  at  a  table  with  knives  and  forks. 

They  are  all  pretty  full  of  alcohol,  but  the  sailor 
instinct  is  so  strong  in  them  that  they  do  their 
work  as  well,  some  of  them  perhaps  better,  than  if 
they  were  sober.  There  is  no  romance  about  them 
or  about  any  part  of  their  lives;  they  are  simply 
common,  every-day  sailors,  and  will  never  be  any- 
thing else,  unless  they  happen  to  encounter  some 
inspired  writer  of  fiction;  then  it  is  difficult  to  say 
what  may  become  of  them.  Some  of  them  have 
much  good  in  their  natures,  others  are  saturated 
with  evil,  and  all  need  to  be  handled  with  tact  and 

8 


114  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

judgment,  for  too  much  severity,  or  on  the  other 
hand  any  want  of  firmness,  may  lead  to  trouble, 
which  means  the  free  use  of  knives,  belaying  pins, 
and  knuckle-dusters. 

Now  the  flood-tide  begins  to  slacken,  and  as  the 
ship  swings  to  the  wind,  the  order  is  passed  along 
from  aft  to  man  the  windlass  and  heave  short.  We 
hear  the  mate  sing  out  in  a  pleasant,  cheery  voice: 
"  Now,  then,  boys,  heave  away  on  the  windlass 
breaks ;  strike  a  light,  it 's  duller  than  an  old  grave- 
yard." And  the  chantyman,  in  an  advanced  stage 
of  hilarious  intoxication,  gay  as  a  skylark,  sails 
into  song: 

"  In  eighteen  hundred  and  forty-six, 
I  found  myself  in  the  hell  of  a  fix, 
A-working  on  the  railway,  the  railway,  the  railway. 
Oh,  poor  Paddy  works  on  the  railway. 

^'  In  eighteen  hundred  and  forty-seven, 
When  Dan  O'Connolly  went  to  heaven. 
He   worked   upon   the  railway,   the   railway,   the 

railway. 
Poor  Paddy  works  on  the  railway,  the  railway. 

"  In  eighteen  hundred  and  forty-eight, 
I  found  myself  bound  for  the  Golden  Gate, 
A-working  on  the  railway,  the  railway. 
Oh,  poor  Paddy  works  on  the  railway,  the  railway. 

"  In  eighteen  hundred  and  forty-nine, 
I  passed  my  time  in  the  Black  Ball  Line, 
A-working  on  the  railway,  the  railway, 
I  weary  on  the  railway. 
Poor  Paddy  works  on  the  railway,  the  railway." 


A  Sailing  Day  115 

And  so  on  to  the  end  of  the  century,  or  till  the 
mate  sings  out,  "  Vast  heaving,"  lifts  his  hand,  and 
reports  to  the  captain :  "  The  anchor  's  apeak,  sir." 
"  Very  good,  sir,  loose  sails  fore  and  aft."  "  Aye, 
aye,  sir."  "  Aloft  there  some  of  you  and  loose 
sails.  One  hand  stop  in  the  tops  and  crosstrees  to 
overhaul  the  gear."  ^'  Aye,  aye,  sir.  Royals  and  sky- 
sails?"  "Yes,  royals  and  skysails;  leave  the  stay- 
sails fast."  "  Lay  out  there,  four  or  five  of  you,  and 
loose  the  head  sails."  "  Here,  you  fellow  in  the 
green-spotted  shirt,  lay  down  out  of  that ;  there 's 
men  enough  up  there  now  to  eat  those  sails."  "  Mr. 
Sampson,  take  some  of  your  men  aft  and  look  after 
the  main  and  mizzen;  put  a  hand  at  the  wheel;  as 
he  goes  along  let  him  clear  the  ensign  halliards; 
while  you  're  waiting  lay  that  accommodation 
ladder  in  on  deck ;  leave  the  spanker  fast."  "  On 
the  foretopsail  yard,  there,  if  you  cut  that  gasket, 
I  '11  split  your  damned  skull ;  cast  it  adrift,  you 
lubber."  "  Boatswain,  get  your  watch  tackles  along 
to  the  topsail  sheets."  "Aye,  aye,  sir."  "Here,  some 
of  you  gentlemen's  sons  in  disguise,  get  that  fish- 
davit  out;  hook  on  the  pendant;  overhaul  the  tackle 
down  ready  for  hooking  on."  "  Mainskysail  yard 
there,  don't  make  those  gaskets  up,  my  boy;  fetch 
them  in  along  the  yard,  and  make  fast  to  the  tye." 

By  this  time  the  sails  are  loose  and  the  gaskets 
made  up;  courses,  topsails,  topgallantsails,  royals, 
and  skysails  flutter  in  their  gear,  and  the  clipper 
feels  the  breath  of  life.  "  Sheet  home  the  topsails." 
"  Aye,  aye,  sir."  "  Boatswain,  look  out  for  those 
clew-lines  at  the  main;  ease  down  handsomely  as 
the  sheets  come  home."     "  Foretop  there,  overhaul 


ii6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

your  buntlines,  look  alive!"  "Belay  your  port 
maintopsail  sheet;  clap  a  watch  tackle  on  the  star- 
board sheet  and  rouse  her  home."  "  Maintop 
there,  lay  down  on  the  main-yard  and  light  the  foot 
of  that  sail  over  the  stay."  "  That 's  well,  belay 
starboard."  "  Well  the  mizzentopsail  sheets,  be- 
lay." "Now  then,  my  bullies,  lead  out  your  top- 
sail halliards  fore  and  aft  and  masthead  her." 
"  Aye,  aye,  sir."  By  this  time  the  mate  has  put 
some  ginger  into  the  crew  and  longshoremen,  and 
they  walk  away  with  the  three  topsail  halliards : 

"  Away,  way,  way,  yar, 
We  '11  kill  Paddy  Doyle  for  his  boots." 

"  Now  then,  long  pulls,  my  sons."  "  Here,  you 
chantyman,  haul  off  your  boots,  jump  on  that  main- 
deck  capstan  and  strike  a  light;  the  best  in  your 
locker."  "  Aye,  aye,  sir."  And  the  three  topsail- 
yards  go  aloft  with  a  ringing  chanty  that  can  be 
heard  up  in  Beaver  Street: 

"  Then  up  aloft  that  yard  must  go, 
Whiskey  for  my  Johnny. 
Oh,  whiskey  is  the  life  of  man, 
Whiskey,  Johnny. 
I  thought  I  heard  the  old  man  say, 
Whiskey  for  my  Johnny. 
We  are  bound  away  this  very  day. 
Whiskey,  Johnny. 

A  dollar  a  day  is  a  white  man^s  pay. 
Whiskey  for  my  Johnny. 


A  Sailing  Day  117 

Oh,  whiskey  killed  my  sister  Sue, 

Whiskey,  Johnny, 

And  whiskey  killed  the  old  man,  too, 

Whiskey  for  my  Johnny. 

Whiskey's  gone,  what  shall  I  do? 

Whiskey,  Johnny, 

Oh,  whiskey  's  gone,  and  I  '11  go  too, 

Whiskey  for  my  Johnny." 

"  Belay  your  maintopsail  halliards."  "  Aye,  aye, 
sir."  And  so  the  canvas  is  set  fore  and  aft,  top- 
sails, topgallantsails,  royals,  and  skysails,  flat  as 
boards,  the  inner  and  outer  jibs  are  run  up  and 
the  sheets  hauled  to  windward ;  the  main-  and  after- 
yards  are  braced  sharp  to  the  wind,  the  foretopsail 
is  laid  to  the  mast,  and  the  clipper  looks  like  some 
great  seabird  ready  for  flight.  The  anchor  is  hove 
up  to: 

"  I  wish  I  was  in  Slewer's  Hall, 
Lowlands,  lowlands,  hurra,  my  boys, 
A-drinking  luck  to  the  old  Black  Ball, 
My  dollar  and  a  half  a  day." 

And  while  some  of  the  hands  bring  the  anchor  to 
the  rail  with  cat  and  fish  tackle,  and: 

"  A  Yankee  sloop  came  down  the  river, 
Hah,  hah,  rolling  John, 

Oh,  what  do  you  think  that  sloop  had  in  her? 
Hah,  hah,  rolling  John, 
Monkey's  hide  and  bullock's  liver. 
Hah,  hah,  rolling  JohnJ' 


ii8  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

the  rest  of  the  crew  fill  away  the  foreyard,  draw 
away  the  head  sheets,  and  check  in  the  after  yards. 
As  the  ship  pays  off,  and  gathers  way  in  the  slack 
water,  the  longshoremen  and  runners  tumble  over 
the  side  into  the  Whitehall  boats,  the  crowd  at 
Battery  Park  gives  three  parting  cheers,  the  ensign 
is  dipped,  and  the  clipper  is  on  her  way  to  Cape 
Horn. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


THE    CLIPPER    SHIP    CREWS 


THE  history  of  men  before  the  mast  on  board 
American  merchant  ships  is  not  a  history  of 
American  sailors,  for  strictly  speaking  there  have 
never  been  any  American  merchant  sailors  as  a 
class;  that  is,  no  American  merchant  ship  of  con- 
siderable tonnage  was  ever  manned  by  native-born 
Americans  in  the  sense  that  French,  British,  Dutch, 
Norwegian,  Swedish,  Spanish,  or  Danish  ships  are 
manned  by  men  born  in  the  country  under  whose 
flag  they  sail.  Neither  have  Americans  ever  fol- 
lowed the  sea  all  their  lives  before  the  mast,  as 
do  men  of  the  nations  named.  Some  of  the  small 
Salem  ships  and  perhaps  a  few  of  the  Nantucket 
whalers  of  a  century  ago  may  possibly  have  carried 
entirely  American  crews,  but  if  so,  the  men  did 
not  remain  long  in  the  forecastle. 

The  ship  George,  328  tons,  built  at  Salem  in 
1812  and  owned  by  Joseph  Peabody,  is  a  case 
in  point.  She  was  known  as  the  "  Salem  frigate," 
and  made  many  successful  voyages  to  Calcutta. 
Of  this  ship's  sailors,  during  her  long  and  pros- 
perous career,  forty-five  became  captains,  twenty 
chief  mates,  and  six  second  mates.  One  of  her 
Salem  crew,  Thomas  M.   Saunders,  served  as  boy, 

119 


I20  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

ordinary  seaman,  able  seaman,  third,  second,  and 
chief  mate  on  board  of  her,  and  finally,  after 
twelve  East  India  voyages,  became  her  captain. 
This  ship  was  a  fair  sample  of  many  American  ves- 
sels of  that  period,  but  probably  no  ship  of  similar 
or  greater  tonnage  in  the  merchant  service  of  any 
other  nation  can  show  such  a  brilliant  record  for 
her  men  before  the  mast. 

The  demand  for  crews  for  the  California  clippers 
brought  together  a  miscellaneous  lot  of  men,  some 
good  and  some  bad,  some  accustomed  to  deep-w^ater 
voyages  to  India  and  China,  and  some  only  to  Euro- 
pean ports,  while  others  were  not  sailors  at  all, 
and  only  shipped  as  such  for  the  sake  of  getting 
to  California.  The  majority  were  of  course  from 
the  general  merchant  service  of  the  time. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
American  ships  trading  upon  long  voyages  to  China 
and  India  carried  crews  composed  chiefly  of  Scandi- 
navians— splendid  sailormen  who  could  do  any  kind 
of  rigging  work  or  sail-making  required  on  board 
of  a  ship  at  sea  and  took  pride  in  doing  it  well, 
and  who  also  had  sufficient  sense  to  know  that 
discipline  is  necessary  on  shipboard.  These  Scandi- 
navians, who  were  as  a  rule  fine  seamen,  clean,  will- 
ing, and  obedient,  were  the  first  and  best  class 
among  the  men  of  whom  the  clipper  ship  crews  were 
composed.  A  vessel  with  a  whole  crew  of  these 
strong,  honest  sailors  was  a  little  heaven  afloat. 

Then  there  were  the  packet  sailors,  a  different 
class  altogether,  mostly  "  Liverpool  Irishmen,"  a 
species  of  wild  men,  strong,  coarse-built,  thick-set; 
their   hairy   bodies   and   limbs   tattooed   with   gro- 


The  Clipper  Ship  Crews  121 

tesque  and  often  obscene  devices  in  red  and  blue 
India  ink ;  men  wallowing  in  the  slush  of  depravity, 
who  could  be  ruled  only  with  a  hand  of  iron. 
Among  themselves  they  had  a  rough-and-ready  code 
of  ethics,  which  deprived  them  of  the  pleasure  of 
stealing  from  each  other,  though  it  permitted  theni 
to  rob  and  plunder  shipmates  of  other  nationalities, 
or  the  ship  and  passengers.  So,  too,  they  might 
not  draw  knives  on  each  other,  being  obliged  to 
settle  disputes  with  their  fists,  but  to  cut  and  stab 
an  officer  or  shipmate  not  of  their  own  gang  was 
regarded  as  an  heroic  exploit. 

With  all  their  moral  rottenness,  these  rascals 
were  splendid  fellows  to  make  or  shorten  sail  in 
heavy  weather  on  the  Western  Ocean,  and  to  go 
aloft  in  a  coat  or  monkey  jacket  in  any  kind  of 
weather  was  regarded  by  them  with  derision  and 
contempt.  But  making  and  taking  in  sail  was  about 
all  that  they  could  do,  being  useless  for  the  hun- 
dred and  one  things  on  shipboard  which  a  deep- 
water  sailor  was  supposed  to  know,  such  as  rigging 
work,  sail-making,  scraping,  painting,  and  keeping 
a  vessel  clean  and  shipshape.  The  packets  had  all 
this  work  done  in  port,  and  never  looked  so  well 
as  when  hauling  out  of  dock  outward  bound; 
whereas,  the  China  and  California  clippers  looked' 
their  best  after  a  long  voyage,  coming  in  from  sea 
with  every  ratline  and  seizing  square,  the  sheer 
poles  coach-whipped,  brass  caps  on  the  rigging  ends 
and  lanyard  knots,  and  the  man-ropes  marvels  of 
cross  pointing,  Turks'  heads,  and  double  rose  knots. 

The  packet  sailors  showed  up  at  their  best  when 
laying  out  on  a  topsail  yardarm,  passing  a  weather 


122  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

reef-earing,  with  their  Black  Ball  caps,  red  shirts, 
and  trousers  stowed  in  the  legs  of  their  sea  boots 
along  with  their  cotton  hooks  and  sheath  knives,  a 
snow  squall  whistling  about  their  ears,  the  rigging 
a  mass  of  ice,  and  the  old  packet  jumping  into  the 
big  Atlantic  seas  up  to  her  knightheads.  These 
ruffians  did  not  much  care  for  India  and  China 
voyages,  but  preferred  to  navigate  between  the 
dance-halls  of  Cherry  Street  and  the  grog-shops  of 
Waterloo  Road  and  Ratcliffe  Highway.  As  has 
often  been  said,  they  worked  like  horses  at  sea  and 
spent  their  money  like  asses  ashore. 

V>  hen  the  California  clippers  came  out,  these 
packet  rats,  as  they  came  to  be  called  aboard  the 
deep-water  ships — men  who  had  never  before  had 
the  slightest  idea  of  crossing  the  equator  if  they 
could  help  it, — were  suddenly  possessed  with  the 
desire  to  get  to  the  California  gold  mines.  They, 
with  other  adventurers  and  blacklegs  of  the  vilest 
sort,  who  were  not  sailors  but  who  shipped  as  able 
seamen  for  the  same  reason,  partly  composed  the 
crews  of  the  clipper  ships.  The  packet  rats  were 
tough,  roustabout  sailormen  and  difficult  to  handle, 
so  that  it  was  sometimes  a  toss-up  Avhether  they  or  the 
captain  and  officers  would  have  charge  of  the  ship; 
yet  to  see  these  fellows  laying  out  on  an  eighty-foot 
main-yard  in  a  whistling  gale  off  Cape  Horn,  fist- 
ing hold  of  a  big  No.  1  Colt's  cotton  canvas  main- 
sail, heavy  and  stiff  with  sleet  and  snow,  bellying, 
slatting,  and  thundering  in  the  gear,  and  then  to 
hear  the  wild,  cheery  shouts  of  these  rugged,  brawny 
sailormen,  amid  the  fury  of  the  storm,  as  inch  by 
inch  they  fought  on  till  the  last  double  gasket  was 


11 


^?',  1  »il  1 1 


a 

O 


(V 

O 


o 


The  Clipper  Ship  Crews  123 

fast,  made  it  easy  to  forget  their  sins  in  admiration 
of  their  splendid  courage. 

Then  there  were  Spaniards,  Portuguese,  China- 
men, Frenchmen,  Africans,  Russians,  and  Italians 
from  the  general  merchant  service,  many  of  whom 
were  excellent  seamen  and  some  of  whom  were 
not;  and  lastly  came  the  men  of  various  nation- 
alities who  were  not  sailors  at  all  nor  the  stuff 
out  of  which  sailors  could  be  made,  and  who  had 
no  business  to  be  before  the  mast  on  board  of  a 
ship.  Many  of  these  men  had  served  their  time  in 
the  penitentiary  and  some  should  have  remained 
there.  These  impostors  increased  the  labor  of  able 
seamen  who  were  compelled  to  do  their  work,  and 
endangered  the  safety  of  the  ship  so  unfortunate  as 
to  have  them  among  her  crew. 

With  such  barbarians  the  New  England  captains 
from  the  yellow  sands  of  Cape  Cod  and  the  little 
seaports  along  the  Sound,  and  from  the  rocky  head- 
lands of  Cape  Ann  and  the  coast  of  Maine,  were 
often  called  upon  to  handle  the  clipper  ships.  There 
were,  as  has  been  said,  a  large  number  of  respect- 
able, hard-working,  Scandinavian  sailors,  some  of 
whom  became  captains  and  mates,  as  well  as  from 
four  to  eight  smart  American  boys  aboard  each 
ship  who  looked  forward  to  becoming  officers  and 
captains. 

The  clipper  ship  captains  had  the  reputation  of 
being  severe  men  with  their  crews,  but  consider- 
ing the  kind  of  human  beings  with  whom  they  had 
to  deal,  it  is  difficult  to  see  how  they  could  have 
been  anything  else,  and  still  retain  command  of 
their    ships.     Taken    as    a    class,    American    sea- 


124  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

captains  and  mates  half  a  century  ago  were  per- 
haps the  finest  body  of  real  sailors  that  the  world 
has  ever  seen^  and  by  this  is  meant  captains  and 
officers  who  had  themselves  sailed  before  the  mast. 
They  enforced  their  authority  by  sheer  power  of 
character  and  will  against  overwhelming  odds  of 
brute  force,  often  among  cut-throats  and  despera- 
does. They  were  the  first  to  establish  discipline 
in  the  merchant  service,  and  their  ships  were  the 
envy  and  despair  of  merchants  and  captains  of 
other  nations.  Intrepid  and  self-reliant  sailors, 
they  are  justly  entitled  to  the  gratitude  of  mankind. 
No  doubt  there  were  instances  of  unnecessary 
severity  on  board  the  American  clipper  ships;  they 
were  exceptional,  and  the  provocation  was  great; 
but  it  would  be  difficult  to  cite  a  case  of  a  sailor 
being  ill-used  who  knew  and  performed  the  duties 
for  which  he  had  shipped,  for  captains  and  officers 
appreciated  the  value  of  good  seamen,  and  took  the 
best  care  of  them. 

The  abuses  from  which  sailors  in  those  days  suf- 
fered, were  not  when  at  sea  or  on  board  ship.  It 
was  the  harpies  of  the  land  who  lay  in  wait  like 
vultures,  to  pollute  and  destroy  their  bodies  and 
souls — male  and  female  land-sharks,  who  would 
plunder  and  rob  a  sailor  of  his  pay  and  his  three 
months'  advance,  and  then  turn  him  adrift  with- 
out money  or  clothes.  It  made  no  difference  to 
these  brazen-hearted  thieves — and  the  women,  if 
possible,  were  worse  than  the  men — whether  a 
sailor  was  bound  round  the  Horn  in  midwinter  or 
to  the  East  Indies  in  midsummer;  they  saw  to  it 
that  he  took  nothing  away  with  him  but  the  ragged 


The  Clipper  Ship  Crews  125 

clothes  he  stood  in,  and  perhaps  a  ramshackle  old 
sea  chest  with  a  shabby  suit  of  oilskins,  a  pair  of 
leaky  sea  boots,  a  bottle  or  two  of  Jersey  lightning, 
and  two  or  three  pings  of  tobacco  chucked  into  it. 
These  vice-hardened  men  and  women  of  various 
nationalities  were  permitted  to  work  their  abomin- 
able trade  unmolested,  almost  within  the  shadow  of 
church  spires  and  Courts  of  Justice  in  the  chief 
seaports  of  the  United  States.  The  destitute  con- 
dition in  which  men  were  put  on  board  of  American 
ships  became  so  common  that  clothing  and  other 
necessaries  were  provided  for  them  in  what  was 
known  as  the  slop  chest,  in  charge  of  the  steward, 
with  which  all  ships  bound  upon  distant  voyages 
were  supplied,  and  from  which  the  crew  received 
whatever  they  required  at  about  one  half  the  cost 
extorted  by  the  slop  shops  on  shore.  This  arrange- 
ment was  necessary,  as  otherwise,  in  many  instances, 
the  men  would  not  have  had  sufficient  clothing  to 
stand  a  watch  in  cold  or  stormy  weather. 

American  sea-captains  were  often  compelled  to 
take  these  outcasts  as  they  found  them,  because 
they  could  get  no  other  men.  They  provided  them 
with  better  food  than  they  had  ever  seen  or  heard 
of  on  board  vessels  of  their  own  countries,  sup- 
plied them  with  clothes,  sea  boots,  sou'westers,  oil- 
skins, and  tobacco,  restored  them  to  health,  paid 
them  money  which  many  of  them  never  earned, 
and  for  the  time  being,  at  least,  did  their  utmost 
to  make  men  of  them.  If  any  one  imagines  that 
this  class  of  sailors  ever  felt  or  expressed  the  least 
gratitude  toward  their  benefactors,  he  is  much  mis- 
taken.   Let  him  picture  to  himself  these  creatures  in 


126  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

their  watch  below,  laying  off  in  their  frowzy  berths 
or  sitting  around  their  dirty,  unkempt  forecastle 
on  their  chests — those  who  happen  to  own  them — 
smoking  their  filthy  clay  pipes,  amid  clouds  of  foul 
tobacco  smoke,  reeking  in  the  stench  of  musty  un- 
derclothing, mouldy  sea  boots,  and  rancid  oilskins, 
rank  enough  to  turn  the  stomach  of  a  camel,  or  any 
other  animal  than  man.  The  noxious  air  is  too 
much  for  the  sooty  slush  lamp  that  swings  un- 
easily against  the  grimy  bulkhead ;  it  burns  a  sickly 
blue  flame  with  a  halo  of  fetid  vapor;  while  the 
big  fat-witted  samples  of  humanity  in  the  bunks 
and  on  the  sea  chests  cheerfully  curse  their  captain 
up-hill  and  down  dale  as  their  natural  enemy,  but 
are  never  tired  of  yarning  about  their  "  shore 
friends."  They  recall  the  attractive  qualities  of 
such  characters  as  Dutch  Pete,  One-thumbed  Jerry, 
and  Limerick  Mike — sleek,  smooth-tongued  board- 
ing-house runners  who  have  practised  upon  the 
vices  of  these  same  men,  robbed  them  of  their  ad- 
vance wages,  drugged  and  shanghaied  them  without 
clothing  or  tobacco.  Then  these  stupid  fellows  will 
yarn  about  the  enticing  charms  of  such  "  real 
ladies "  as  Big  Moll,  Swivel-eyed  Sue,  or  French 
Kate,  and  the  comfort  and  hospitality  of  the  estab- 
lishments over  which  these  hussies  preside.  But 
let  the  boatswain  come  along  and  knock  three  times 
on  the  forecastle  door  with  his  brawny  fist,  and 
sing  out,  "  Now  then,  get  out  here  and  put  the 
stun'sails  on  her,"  and  these  bulky  brutes  will 
tumble  over  each  other  to  get  on  deck,  for  they 
know  that  they  will  be  beaten  and  booted  if  there 
is  any  hanging  back. 


The  Clipper  Ship  Crews  127 

Unfortunately,  this  was  the  only  way  to  deal 
with  this  type  of  men  on  shipboard.  They  were 
amenable  to  discipline  only  in  the  form  of  force  in 
heavy  and  frequent  doses,  the  theories  of  those  who 
have  never  commanded  ships  or  had  experience  in 
handling  degenerates  at  sea  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding. To  talk  about  the  exercise  of  kind- 
ness or  moral  suasion  with  such  men,  would  be  the 
limit  of  foolishness;  one  might  as  well  propose  a 
kindergarten  for  baby  coyotes  or  young  rattlesnakes. 

One  does  not  like  to  dwell  upon  these  depressing 
phases  of  human  nature  in  connection  with  the 
graceful,  yacht-like  clipper,  perhaps  the  most  beauti- 
ful and  life-like  thing  ever  fashioned  by  the  hand 
of  man.  It  is  therefore  pleasant  to  record  that 
there  were  many  American  clipper  ships  with  crews 
that  were  for  the  most  part  decent,  self-respecting 
men,  who  kept  themselves,  their  clothes,  and  their 
forecastles  clean  and  sweet.  Of  course,  these  men 
would  have  their  grog  and  sweethearts  on  shore, 
and  their  quiet  growl  at  sea — the  birthright  of  all 
good  sailormen ;  but  they  required  no  urging  beyond 
a  word  of  encouragement  to  do  their  work  on  deck 
and  aloft  quickly  and  well.  Such  a  crew  would 
not  live  with  men  who  were  unclean  in  their  speech 
and  habits,  and  would  compel  such  human  nuisances 
to  pick  up  their  traps  and  take  themselves  out 
under  the  topgallant  forecastle  to  get  along  as  best 
they  might;  but  it  was  a  great  hardship  when  good 
seamen  found  themselves  among  a  crew  composed 
chiefly  of  these  poor  enough  sailors  but  proficient 
blackguards  and  bullies. 

In  those  days  there  was  a  class  of  persons  who 


128  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

did  their  utmost  to  degrade  an  honorable  profession 
by  calling  themselves  lawyers.  The  ports  of  New 
York  and  San  Francisco  w^ere  the  scenes  of  their 
most  lucrative  exploits.  When  a  ship  arrived,  these 
fellows  would  waylay  the  sailors  and  follow  them 
to  dance-halls,  gin-mills,  and  other  low  resorts, 
worming  their  way  into  the  confidence  of  the  too 
easy  mariners  by  fairy  tales  and  glittering  prospects 
of  large  sums  of  money  to  be  recovered  as  damages 
from  their  late  captains,  until  they  succeeded  in 
extracting  a  narrative  of  the  last  voyage,  including 
alleged  grievances.  They  would  then  libel  the  ship 
and  commence  legal  proceedings  against  the  captain 
and  officers.  These  cases  would  be  tried  before 
juries  of  landsmen  who,  having  no  practical  know- 
ledge of  sailors  or  of  the  usages  of  the  sea,  frequently 
awarded  damages,  though  in  many  cases  the  captain 
and  officers  were  able  to  disprove  false  complaints 
or  to  justify  their  actions  upon  the  ground  of  neces- 
sity in  maintaining  proper  discipline.  It  is  per- 
haps needless  to  say  that  of  the  damages  recovered 
not  one  penny  was  ever  handled  by  the  aggrieved 
sailor,  for  the  guiding  principle  of  the  sea  lawyer's 
career  being  the  resolve  never  to  part  with  his 
client's  money,  these  fellows  literally  made  their 
clients'  interests  their  own.  Sailors  themselves 
used  to  laugh  and  joke  about  the  bare-faced  yarns 
which  they  had  spun  under  oath  in  court  and  got 
greenhorn  juries  to  listen  to  and  believe;  but  they 
did  not  laugh  and  joke  about  their  lawyers,  whom 
they  regarded  with  contempt.  One  of  the  most 
insulting  epithets  which  a  sailor  could  apply  to 
another  was  to  call  him  a  "  sea  lawyer,"  and  there 


o 


o 


The  Clipper  Ship  Crews  129 

was  a  particularly  ravenous  species  of  shark  which 
used  also  to  be  known  as  the  "  sea  lawyer." 

At  one  time  this  abuse  of  the  law  became  such  a 
powerful  instrument  of  extortion  that  captains  and 
officers,  innocent  of  any  wrong,  unless  the  protection 
of  life  and  property  be  regarded  as  wrong,  were 
compelled  to  leave  their  ships  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York  before  they  hauled  alongside  the  wharf,  in 
order  to  escape  prosecution,  and  w^ere  made  to  ap- 
pear like  criminals  fleeing  from  justice.  This  can- 
not be  considered  a  very  cheerful  welcome  home 
after  a  voyage  round  the  globe.  Yet  it  compares 
not  unfavorably  with  the  reception  sometimes  ac- 
corded the  returning  traveller  nowadays — at  the 
hands  of  officers  of  the  law  empowered  to  collect 
"  protective  "  duties  on  personal  effects. 

After  a  while  this  nefarious  trade,  by  which  ship- 
owners, captains,  officers,  and  crews  were  alike  de- 
frauded, perished  by  its  own  rapacity;  but  the 
attitude  of  the  United  States  Government  of  half 
a  century  ago  in  permitting  her  splendid  American 
merchant  captains  and  officers  to  be  subjected  to 
gross  indignities,  and  the  foreign  seamen  sailing 
under  her  flag  to  be  robbed  and  shipped  away  with- 
out their  knowledge  or  consent,  must  ever  remain 
a  blot  upon  the  page  of  American  maritime  history. 

Those  well-intentioned  philanthropists  who  had 
an  idea  that  sailors  were  being  ill-treated  on  board 
American  ships,  and  who  wasted  sympathy  upon  a 
class  of  men  most  of  whom  required  severe  discipline, 
might  have  been  better  employed  had  they  exerted 
their  energies  toward  purging  the  seaports  of  the 
country  of  the  dens  of  vice  and  gangs  of  robbers 
9 


130  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

that  infested  them,  though  this  might  not  have  been 
so  romantic  as  a  sentimental  interest  in  the  welfare 
of  the  sailor  when  encountering  the  supposed  terrors 
of  the  deep.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  lives,  limbs, 
and  morals  of  sailors  at  that  period  were  very  much 
safer  at  sea  than  they  were  on  land. 

It  is  refreshing  to  turn  to  one  man,  at  least,  who 
knew  and  understood  sailors,  and  who  in  early  life 
had  himself  been  a  sailor.  This  was  the  Rev.  Ed- 
ward Thompson  Taylor,  known  upon  every  sea  with 
respect  and  affection  as  "  Father  Taylor."  In  1833 
the  Seaman's  Bethel  was  erected  in  North  Square, 
Boston,  and  there  Father  Taylor  presided  for  some 
forty  years.  During  that  time  he  did  an  enormous 
amount  of  good,  both  among  sailors  themselves,  to 
whom  he  spoke  in  language  which  they  could  un- 
derstand and  feel,  and  by  drawing  the  attention  of 
influential  men  and  women  to  the  lamentable  con- 
dition of  the  life  of  sailors  when  on  shore,  not  only 
in  Boston,  but  in  all  the  great  seaports  of  the 
United  States.  For  many  years  the  Seaman's  Bethel 
was  one  of  the  most  interesting  sights  of  Boston, 
and  all  classes  were  attracted  there  by  the  novel 
and  picturesque  earnestness  and  eloquence  of  Father 
Taylor.  Distinguished  visitors  were  usually  taken 
there  or  went  of  their  own  accord,  to  listen  to  the 
words  of  this  inspired  seaman,  and  many  of  them 
have  recorded  their  impressions.  Harriet  Marti- 
neau,  J.  S.  Buckingham,  M.  P.,  Charles  Dickens, 
Frederika  Bremer,  John  Ross  Dix,  Mrs.  Jameson, 
Catherine  Sedgwick,  and  Walt  Whitman  all  testi- 
fied to  the  wonderful  power  of  this  homely,  self- 
educated  Baptist  preacher. 


o 

a, 
09 

o 
a. 
O4 


o 


The  Clipper  Ship  Crews  131 

Father  Taylor  had  little  to  say  about  the  treat- 
ment of  sailors  on  shipboard,  for  he  knew  that  they 
were  treated  with  humanity  and  according  to  their 
deserts,  but  he  did  have  a  great  deal  to  say  about 
their  life  and  vile  associations  on  shore;  he  once 
prayed  with  unconscious  humor,  "  that  Bacchus  and 
Venus  might  be  driven  to  the  ends  of  the  earth  and 
off  it."  He  possessed  a  marvellous  power  of  de- 
scription, and  perhaps  no  poet  or  painter  has  more 
vividly  portrayed  the  ever-changing  moods  of  the 
ocean.  He  used  these  superb  sea  pictures  as  meta- 
phors and  illustrations.  I  have  a  clear  remem- 
brance of  some  of  them  and  recall  them  with  grati- 
tude, but  no  words  of  mine  can  convey  an  adequate 
impression  of  their  beauty  and  grandeur;  his  was 
a  genius  that  eludes  description. 

It  was  once  said  of  Father  Taylor  that  he  hated 
the  devil  more  than  he  loved  God,  but  I  think  who- 
ever said  this  could  not  have  understood  him,  for 
the  affection,  tenderness,  and  substantial  help  which 
Father  Taylor  lavished  upon  God's  children,  afflicted 
in  body  and  mind,  knew  no  bounds.  At  the  same 
time  he  knew  the  men  whom  it  was  his  mission  to 
rescue,  and  often  when  denouncing  their  follies  and 
vices  his  words  fell  hot  as  burning  coals.  He  de- 
tested shams  in  any  form,  and  was  swift  to  detect 
them  in  sailors  as  well  as  in  others. 

In  those  days  there  was  far  too  much  ignorant 
sentimentality  bestowed  upon  seamen  and  their 
affairs,  too  much 

"  Poor  child  of  danger,  nursling  of  the  storm. 
Sad  are  the  woes  that  wreck  thy  manly  form." 


132  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Sad  enough,  no  doubt,  to  the  captain  of  a  clipper 
ship  bound  round  Cape  Horn,  compelled  to  stand 
by  and  see  his  canvas  slatting  to  pieces  in  the  first 
bit  of  a  blow  outside  Sandy  Hook,  because  he  was 
cursed  with  a  crew  unable  or  unwilling  to  handle 
it.  But  this  seldom  happened  more  than  once 
aboard  of  an  American  clipper  in  the  fifties,  for 
such  a  crew  was  taken  in  hand  and  soon  knocked 
into  shape  by  the  mates,  carpenter,  sailmaker,  cook, 
steward,  and  boatswain.  Belaying  pins,  capstan- 
bars,  and  heavers  began  to  fly  about  the  deck,  and 
when  the  next  gale  came  along  the  crew  found 
that  they  could  get  aloft  and  make  some  kind  of 
show  at  stowing  sails,  and  by  the  time  the  ship 
got  down  to  the  line,  they  were  usually  pretty  smart 
at  handling  canvas.  As  the  clipper  winged  her  way 
southward,  and  the  days  grew  shorter,  and  the 
nights  colder,  belaying  pins,  capstan  bars,  and 
heavers  were  all  back  in  their  places,  for  system, 
order,  and  discipline  had  been  established.  When 
the  snow-squalls  began  to  gather  on  the  horizon, 
and  the  old-time  clipper  lifted  her  forefoot  to  the 
first  long,  gray  Cape  Horn  roller,  with  albatross 
and  Cape  pigeons  wheeling  and  screaming  in  her 
wake,  the  mate,  as  he  stood  at  the  break  of  the 
quarter-deck  in  his  long  pilot-cloth  watch-coat, 
woollen  mittens,  sea  boots,  and  sou'wester,  and  sung 
out  to  the  boatswain  to  get  his  men  along  for  a 
pull  on  the  weather  braces,  felt  with  pride  that  he 
had  something  under  him  that  the  "  old  man " 
could  handle  in  almost  any  kind  of  weather — a 
well-manned  ship. 

In   those   days   of  carrying  canvas   as  long  and 


The  Clipper  Ship  Crews  133 

sometimes  longer  than  spars  and  rigging  would 
stand,  with  only  brawn,  capstans  and  watch  tackles 
to  handle  it,  the  crew  was  a  far  more  important 
factor  on  board  a  sailing  ship  than  in  the  present 
era  of  steel  spars,  wire  rigging,  double  topsail, 
and  topgallant  yards,  donkey  engines  and  steam 
winches.  Indeed,  all  the  conditions  were  quite 
different  from  anything  known  at  the  present  time 
and  required  a  type  of  men,  both  forward  and  aft, 
that  do  not  sail  upon  the  ocean  to-day. 


CHAPTER  IX 

CALIFORNIA  CLIPPERS  OF  1850  AND  THEIR  COMMANDERS 
MAURY's    wind    AND    CURRENT    CHARTS 

AT  the  time  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California, 
American  ship-builders  were  well  prepared  for 
the  work  that  lay  before  them.  The  clippers  al- 
ready built  furnished  valuable  experience,  for  they 
had  attracted  much  attention,  and  their  models  and 
construction  were  almost  as  well  known  to  ship- 
builders throughout  the  country  as  to  those  from 
whose  yards  they  had  been  launched.  It  was  found 
that  the  clippers  were  much  easier  in  a  sea-way 
than  the  old  type  of  vessel;  they  labored  and 
strained  less,  and  in  consequence  delivered  their 
cargoes  in  better  condition.  When  driven  into  a 
heavy  head  sea,  they  would  bury  their  long,  sharp 
bows  in  a  smother  of  foam  and  drench  the  decks 
fore  and  aft  with  flying  spray;  but  at  a  speed  that 
would  have  swamped  the  full-bodied,  wall-sided 
ships  and  made  them  groan  in  every  knee,  timber, 
and  beam. 

The  superiority  of  the  clippers  in  speed  was  even 
more  marked  in  the  average  length  and  regularity 
of  their  voyages  than  in  their  record  passages ;  they 
could  be  depended  on  not  to  make  long  passages; 
with  their  sharp  lines  and  lofty  canvas  they  were 

134 


California  Clippers  of  1850  135 

able  to  cross  belts  of  calm  and  light  winds  much 
more  quickly  than  the  low  rigged,  full-bodied  ships, 
while  in  strong  head  winds  there  was  no  compari- 
son, as  the  sharper  ships  would  work  out  to  wind- 
ward in  weather  that  held  the  old  type  of  vessels 
like  a  barrier,  until  the  wind  hauled  fair  or  mod- 
erated. In  a  word,  the  clippers  could  go  and  find 
strong  or  favorable  winds  while  the  full-bodied 
ships  were  compelled  to  wait  for  them. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  some  remarkably  fast 
passages  were  made  by  the  old  full-built  American 
vessels.  We  have  seen  Captain  Waterman's  record 
with  the  Natchez,  and  other  cases  of  this  kind  might 
be  cited;  but  they  prove  nothing  beyond  the  fact 
that  with  a  fair  wind  and  enough  of  it,  other  things 
being  equal,  a  well-handled,  full-modelled  ship  is 
about  as  fast  as  a  clipper;  also  that  single  pas- 
sages except  as  between  vessels  sailing  together, 
are  not  the  most  reliable  tests  of  speed.  A  number 
of  passages  by  the  same  vessel,  or  a  record  of 
best  days'  runs,  afford  a  more  accurate  means  of 
arriving  at  a  just  estimate  of  speed. 

The  first  California  clippers,  thirteen  in  number, 
were  launched  during  the  year  1850,  the  Celestial, 
SCO  tons,  built  by  William  H.  Webb  and  owned  by 
Bucklin  &  Crane,  of  New  York,  being  the  first  to 
leave  the  ways.  She  was  soon  followed  by  the 
Mandarin,  IIQ  tons,  built  by  Smith  &  Dimon  for 
Goodhue  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  and  the  Surprise, 
i361  tons,  owned  by  A.  A.  Low  «&  Brother;  Game- 
Cock,  1392  tons,  owned  by  Daniel  C.  Bacon,  Boston, 
and  the  barque  Race  Horse,  512  tons,  owned  by  God- 
dard  &  Co.,  Boston,  all  built  by  Samuel  Hall  at 


136  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

East  Boston.  The  WitcJicraft,  1310  tons,  was  built 
at  Chelsea  by  Paul  Curtis,  for  S.  Rogers  &  W.  I). 
Pickman,  of  Salem;  the  John  Bertram,  1080  tons, 
by  R.  E.  Jackson  at  East  Boston,  for  Glidden  & 
Williams,  of  Boston;  the  Governor  Morton,  1318 
tons,  by  James  M.  Hood  at  Somerset,  for  Handy 
&  Everett,  of  New  York ;  the  Sea  Serpent,  1337  tons, 
by  George  Raynes  at  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire, 
for  Grinnell,  Minturn  &  Co.,  of  New  York;  the 
Eclipse,  1223  tons,  by  J.  Williams  &  Son  at 
Williamsburg,  for  T.  Wardle  &  Co.,  of  New  York; 
the  Seaman,  546  tons,  by  Bell  &  Co.,  at  Baltimore, 
for  Funck  &  Meincke,  of  New  York ;  the  White  Squall, 
1118  tons,  by  Jacob  Bell,  for  W.  Piatt  &  Son,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  the  Stag-Hound,  1535  tons,  by 
Donald  McKay  at  East  Boston,  for  Sampson  & 
Tappan  and  George  B.  Upton,  of  Boston. 

The  Celestial  was  a  remarkably  good-looking  ship 
and  much  sharper  than  any  vessel  built  by  Mr. 
Webb  up  to  that  time.  She  carried  long,  slender 
spars,  with  plenty  of  canvas,  and  proved  a  very 
fast  and  able  ship. 

The  Mandarin,  also  a  fine-looking  ship,  was  in- 
tended by  her  builders  to  be  an  improved  Sea  Witch, 
and  although  she  made  some  excellent  passages, 
she  never  came  up  to  the  older  vessel  in  point  of 
speed;  the  Sea  Witch  was  her  builders'  master- 
piece, and  they,  like  many  others,  found  her  a 
difficult  ship  to  improve  upon. 

The  Surprise  was  one  of  the  most  successful  clip- 
per ships  ever  constructed,  and  proved  a  mine  of 
wealth  for  her  owners.  She  was  fully  rigged  on 
the   stocks,   with   all   her  gear   rove   off,   and   was 


J 


California  Clippers  of  1850         137 

launched  with  her  three  skysail  yards  across  and 
colors  flying,  which  attracted  a  multitude  of  people. 
They  rather  expected  to  see  her  capsize,  and  were 
no  doubt  highly  delighted  to  find  that  nothing  un- 
usual happened  as  she  glided  swiftly  down  the  ways, 
or  at  that  critical  instant  when  her  hull  was  still 
partly  supported  on  the  land  and  partly  on  the 
waves,  or  when  she  swung  to  her  anchors  on  even 
keel,  with  the  beautiful  skyline  of  Boston  of  half  a 
century  ago  outlined  in  the  distance. 

Mr.  Hall  was  a  master  ship-builder  and  had  fig- 
ured the  weights,  displacement,  and  stability  of  his 
ship  with  the  same  exactness  with  which  an  astron- 
omer foretells  the  transit  of  a  planet;  yet  with 
all  the  anxiety  incident  to  experiments  of  this 
kind,  he  had  found  time  for  plans  of  a  less  serious 
nature.  He  had  a  pavilion  erected  in  order  that 
the  mothers,  wives,  sisters,  and  daughters  of  the 
men  who  had  built  this  beautiful  ship  might  look 
with  comfort  upon  the  crowning  scene  of  their  kins- 
men's labors,  and  after  the  ship  was  safely  afloat, 
all  were  invited  to  a  luxurious  lunch  served  upon 
long  tables  in  the  mould  loft,  which  was  gaily  dec- 
orated with  flags.  There  the  master  foreman  of 
the  yard  presided,  while  Mr.  Hall  entertained  per- 
sonal friends,  whom  he  had  asked  to  see  the  launch, 
at  his  own  hospitable  home. 

The  Surprise  measured:  length  190  feet,  breadth 
30  feet,  depth  22  feet  with  30  inches  dead-rise  at 
half  floor.  Her  main-yard  was  78  feet  long  from 
boom-iron  to  boom-iron,  and  her  mainmast  was  84 
feet  from  heel  to  cap,  with  other  spars  in  propor- 
tion.    She  was  beautifully  fitted   throughout,  was 


138  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

painted  black  from  the  water-line  up,  and  carried 
a  finely  carved  and  gilded  flying  eagle  for  a  figure- 
head, while  her  stern  was  ornamented  with  the 
arms  of  New  York.  She  was  manned  by  a  crew 
of  30  able  seamen,  6  ordinary  seamen,  4  boys,  2  boat- 
swains, a  carpenter,  a  sailmaker,  2  cooks,  a  steward, 
and  4  mates,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain  Philip 
Dumaresq,  who  had  gained  a  high  reputation  while 
in  command  of  the  Antelope,  ATibar,  and  Great 
Britain. 

Captain  Dumaresq  was  born  at  Swan  Island,  near 
Richmond,  on  the  Kennebec  River.  His  father  had 
settled  there  on  an  estate  which  came  to  him 
through  his  mother,  who  before  her  marriage  was 
the  beautiful  Rebecca  Gardiner,  of  Gardiner,  Maine, 
and  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Sylvester  Gardiner, 
the  first  rector  of  Trinity  Church,  Boston.  Unlike 
most  American  boys,  who  used  to  go  to  sea,  young 
Dumaresq  had  no  special  desire  for  a  life  upon  the 
ocean,  but  was  sent  on  a  voyage  to  China  by  his 
parents,  under  the  advice  of  a  physician,  on  account 
of  his  delicate  health.  He  soon  grew  robust,  and 
at  the  age  of  twenty-two  took  command  of  a  vessel, 
afterwards  becoming  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
and  widely  known  of  all  the  American  clipper  ship 
captains. 

When  the  Surprise  arrived  at  New  York  to  load 
for  San  Francisco,  the  New  York  Herald  declared 
that  she  was  the  handsomest  ship  ever  seen  in  the 
port,  and  a  large  number  of  persons  gathered  to  see 
her  placed  at  her  loading  berth  by  the  steamer 
R.  B.  FordeSf  which  had  towed  her  round  from 
Boston. 


California  Clippers  of  1850         139 

The  R.  B.  Forl)es  at  that  time,  so  to  speak,  was 
a  well-known  character  about  Massachusetts  Bay, 
and  no  marine  function  seemed  quite  complete 
without  her  presence.  She  was  generally  on  hand 
at  launches,  regattas,  and  Fourth  of  July  celebra- 
tions, with  a  jolly  party  of  Boston  underwriters 
and  their  friends  on  board,  accompanied  by  a  band 
of  music  and  well-filled  hampers  of  refreshments. 
Her  hull  was  painted  a  brilliant  red  up  to  the 
bulwarks,  which  were  black,  while  the  deck  fittings, 
houses,  and  the  inside  of  the  bulwarks  were  a  bright 
green.  Altogether,  with  a  rainbow  of  bunting  over 
her  mastheads,  the  brass  band  in  full  blast,  and 
champagne  corks  flying  about  her  deck,  she  con- 
tributed liberally  to  the  gaj^ety  of  many  festive 
occasions.  She  was  also  usually  the  first  to  intro- 
duce a  new-born  ship  to  the  end  of  a  manila  hawser, 
and  for  several  years  she  towed  most  of  the  eastern- 
built  clippers  to  their  loading  berths  at  Bost<3in  or 
New  York. 

But  these  were  only  the  odd  jobs  at  which  she 
put  in  her  time  when  not  engaged  in  her  more 
serious  work  of  salvage  operations,'  for  she  was  the 
best  equipped  and  most  powerful  wrecking  steamer 
on  the  Atjantic  coast,  and  saved  much  valuable 
property  Abandoned  to  the,.,  Boston  Underwriters, 
for  whom  she  was  built  by  Otis  Tafts  at  East 
Boston  in  1845...  She  was  300  tons  register,  and 
was  one  of  the  few  vessels  at  that  date  constructed 
of  iron  and  fitted  with  a  screw  propeller,  her 
engines  and  boilers  being  designed  by  the  re- 
nowned Ericsson.  Her  commander,  Captain  Mor- 
ris, not  only  was  a  very  able  wreck  master,  but 


140  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

did  a  great  deal  by  exi^eriment  and  observation  to 
solve  the  intricate  problems  relating  to  the  devia- 
tion of  the  magnetic  needle  on  board  of  iron  vessels, 
and  was  one  of  the  few  reliable  authorities  of  his 
day  upon  this  important  subject.  At  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  War  in  1861,  the  R.  B.  Forles  was 
purchased  by  the  United  States  Government,  but 
before  the  end  of  the  war  she  was  wrecked  and 
became  a  total  loss  near  Hatteras  Inlet.  It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  mention  that  this  vessel  was  named 
in  honor  of  that  noble  seaman.  Captain  Robert 
Bennett  Forbes,  whose  acts  of  kindness  and  hu- 
manity were  so  many  that  a  book  might  well  be 
devoted  to  a  record  of  them. 

The  Witchcraft  was  a  very  beautiful  ship,  and 
was  commanded  by  Captain  William  C.  Rogers,  a 
son  of  one  of  the  owners,  for  whom  she  was  built. 
Captain  Rogers  was  born  at  Salem  in  1823  and 
had  made  several  voyages  as  supercargo  on  board 
of  different  ships  to  Calcutta  and  Canton.  He  was 
a  man  of  unusual  ability,  and  although  he  never 
sailed  before  the  mast,  or  as  officer  of  a  ship,  he 
had  acquired  a  knowledge  of  seamanship  and  navi- 
gation which  enabled  him  to  become  one  of  the 
most  famous  among  the  younger  clipper  ship  cap- 
tains. He  was  a  rare  example  of  a  gentleman  who 
went  to  sea  for  the  pure  love  of  it,  who  enjoyed 
dealing  with  the  useful  realities  of  life,  and  liked 
a  real  ship  with  real  sailors  on  board  of  her,  and 
a  real  voyage  of  commerce  profitable  to  mankind, 
in  preference  to  an  aimless  life  of  luxury  and 
pleasure. 

During  the  Civil  War  Captain  Rogers  was  one 


California  Clippers  of  1850        141 

of  the  twelve  naval  commanders  appointed  by  Act 
of  Congress,  and  he  commanded  the  U.  S.  clipper 
barque  William  G.  Anderson,  which  mounted  six 
thirty-two  pounders  and  a  long  rifled  gun  amid- 
ships, and  carried  a  crew  of  one  hundred  and  ten 
men.  While  in  command  of  this  vessel,  Captain 
Rogers  captured  the  Confederate  privateer  Beaure- 
gard, Captain  Gilbert  Hays,  one  hundred  miles  east- 
northeast  of  Abaco  in  the  Bahamas,  November  12, 
18C)1.  He  also  commanded  the  U.  S.  gunboat  luka, 
and  in  her  rendered  valuable  service  to  his  country 
during  the  remainder  of  the  war.  He  subsequently 
married  a  granddaughter  of  Nathaniel  Bowditch, 
the  illustrious  navigator. 

The  John  Bertram  was  an  extremely  sharp  ship, 
and  was  the  pioneer  of  Glidden  &  Williams's  line 
of  San  Francisco  clippers.  She  was  named  for 
Captain  Bertram,  one  of  Salem's  most  famous  sea- 
men and  merchants,  and  was  for  several  years 
commanded  by  Captain  Landholm. 

The  Sea  Serpent  was  the  first  clipper  ship  built 
by  Mr.  Raynes,  and  was  a  slender,  rakish,  handsome- 
looking  craft,  comparing  favorably  with  the  New 
York  and  Boston  clippers  of  that  year.  She  was 
commanded  by  Captain  Williams  Howl  and,  a  sea- 
man of  experience  and  ability,  w^ho  was  born  at 
New  Bedford  in  1804.  In  1833  he  took  command 
of  the  Horatio,  then  a  new  ship  and  afterwards 
famous,  on  her  first  voyage  from  New  York  to  China, 
and  remained  in  her  for  about  ten  years.  He  sub- 
sequently commanded  the  packet  ships  Ashdurton, 
Henry  Clay,  Cornelius  Grinnell,  and  the  Constan- 
tine.     Captain  Howland  was  a  gentleman  of  much 


142  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

dignity,  who  usually  wore  kid  gloves  when  he  came 
on  deck  and  seldom  gave  his  orders  to  any  one  but 
the  officer  of  the  watch.  He  had  the  reputation  of 
being  an  Al  seaman  and  navigator. 

The  White  Squall  was  another  handsome  clipper, 
very  similar  in  construction  and  design  to  the 
Samuel  Russell  and  Oriental  from  the  same  yard. 
Although  but  little  more  than  eleven  hundred  tons 
register,  this  ship  cost  when  ready  for  sea  with 
one  year's  stores  and  provisions  on  board  the  sum 
of  190,000,  and  her  freight  from  New  York  to  San 
Francisco  on  her  first  voyage  amounted  to  $70,000. 
She  was  commanded  by  Captain  Lockwood,  and  her 
measurements  were :  length  190  feet,  breadth  35  feet 
6  inches,  and  depth  21  feet. 

The  Stag-Hound,  at  the  time  of  her  launch  was 
the  largest  merchant  ship  ever  built,  though  during 
the  nine  years  that  the  Cunard  Company  had  been 
running  mail  steamers  across  the  Atlantic,  the  ton- 
nage of  American  packet  ships  had  steadily  in- 
creased. In  1846,  as  we  have  seen,  Donald  McKay 
had  built  the  New  World  of  1404  tons,  and  in  1849 
William  H.  Webb  launched  the  Albert  Gallatin  of 
1435  tons,  so  that  the  Stag-Hound,  1535  tons,  was 
not  a  very  much  larger  vessel ;  but  she  was  of  a  de- 
cidedly different  design,  having  less  beam  and  seven- 
teen feet  more  length  than  either  of  these  packets. 
She  attracted  much  attention  and  many  persons 
came  to  see  her  while  she  was  building.  A  throng 
estimated  at  from  twelve  to  fifteen  thousand  gath- 
ered about  the  shipyard  at  noon  on  December  7, 
1850,  to  witness  her  launch.  The  weather  was  bit- 
terly cold,  with  drift  ice  in  the  harbor  and  snow 


t3 

a 
o 
HI 


California  Clippers  of  1850        143 

lying  deep  on  the  ground.  It  was  feared  that  the 
launch  might  have  to  be  postponed  on  account  of 
the  tallow  freezing  on  the  wavs,  but  when  she  had 
settled  in  her  cradle  and  everything  was  ready,  a 
gang  of  men  came  from  the  forge  bearing  cans 
filled  with  boiling  whale  oil,  which  they  poured 
upon  the  ways.  When  the  word  was  given  to  knock 
away  the  dog  shores,  the  vessel  moved  rapidly  down 
the  smoking  ways  and  plunged  into  the  gray,  icy 
waters  of  the  harbor,  amid  shouts  and  cheers  from 
a  shivering  crowd,  while  the  bells  of  Boston  rang 
out  mellow  and  clear,  on  the  calm,  frosty  air,  in 
welcome  to  the  largest  merchant  ship  afloat. 

Launches  were  not  then  regarded  as  social  func- 
tions, although  some  of  the  most  prominent  families 
in  New  York  and  Boston,  who  were  interested  in 
shipping,  attended  them,  and  a  pavilion  was  usually 
erected  where  they  might  picnic  comfortably  and 
enjoy  themselves.  It  was  also  not  customary  in 
those  days  for  women  to  name  ships,  but  the  cere- 
mony, which  was  simple  and  effective,  was  usually 
performed  by  the  foreman  of  the  yard  from  which 
the  ship  was  launched.  On  this  occasion,  when 
the  ^tag-Eound  began  to  move  along  the  ways,  the 
foreman  had  a  black  bottle  of  Medford  rum  some- 
where about,  which  he  seized  by  the  neck  and 
smashed  across  her  forefoot,  at  the  same  time,  in 
the  excitement  of  the  moment,  shouting  out,  ^'  Stag- 
Hound,  your  name 's  Stag-Hound! "  and  thus 
brought  the  ceremony  to  a  close.  This  vessel  meas- 
ured :  length  215  feet,  breadth  40  feet,  depth  21  feet, 
with  40  inches  dead-rise  at  half  floor.  Her  main- 
yard   was   86   feet   and   her   mainmast   88    feet    in 


144  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

length.  She  was  commanded  on  her  first  voyage 
by  Captain  Josiah  Richardson,  and  carried  a  crew 
of  36  able  seamen,  6  ordinary  seamen,  and  4  boys. 
When  she  arrived  at  New  York  in  tow  of  the  R.  B. 
Forl)es,  to  load  for  San  Francisco,  the  ship  fanciers 
of  South  Street  were  for  once  in  their  lives  of 
one  mind,  and  their  opinion  seems  to  have  been 
that  the  Stag-Hound  came  pretty  near  being  the 
perfection  of  the  clipper  ship  type. 

Each  one  of  the  clippers  of  1850  proved  a  credit 
to  the  yard  from  which  she  was  launched,  and 
nearly  all  of  them  made  the  passage  from  New 
York  or  Boston  to  San  Francisco  in  less  than  one 
hundred  and  ten  days.  This  is  an  exceedingly  good 
record,  although  the  passage  from  New  York  has 
been  made  by  two  vessels,  the  Flying  Cloud  and  the 
Andrew  Jackson,  in  a  few  hours  less  than  ninety 
days.  In  Appendix  IT.  will  be  found  the  names  of 
ships  that  made  this  passage  in  one  hundred  and 
ten  days  or  less,  with  the  dates  of  their  arrivals 
at  San  Francisco,  for  the  years  1850-1860.  While 
this  list  includes  almost  all  of  the  extreme  clippers, 
still  there  were  a  number  of  ships  that  gave  proof 
by  their  other  records  of  being  fast  and  ably  com- 
manded, and  yet  failed  to  come  within  the  limit 
of  one  hundred  and  ten  days. 

As  most  persons  are  aware,  foreign  vessels  have 
never  been  allowed  to  engage  in  the  United  States 
coasting  trade,  also  that  the  voyage  between  At- 
lantic and  Pacific  ports  of  the  United  States  has 
always  been  regarded  as  a  coasting  voyage.  The 
California  clippers  therefore  had  no  foreign  com- 
petitors to  sail  against,  but  the  racing  among  them- 


California  Clippers  of  1850         145 

selves  was  sufficiently  keen  to  satisfy  the  most 
enthusiastic  lover  of  sport,  while  China  and  Aus- 
tralia voyages  afforded  opportunities  for  inter- 
national rivalry. 

The  only  clipper  ship  to  make  the  voyage  to 
San  Francisco  prior  to  1850  was  the  Memnon,  under 
Captain  George  Gordon,  which  arrived  there  July 
28,  1849,  after  a  record  passage  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  days  from  New  York.  The  first  contest  of 
clippers  round  Cape  Horn  took  place  in  1850,  be- 
tween the  Houqua,  Sea  Witch^  Samuel  Russell^  and 
Memnon,  old  rivals  on  China  voyages,  and  the  new 
clippers  Celestial,  Mandarin,  and  Race  Horse.  All 
of  these  vessels  had  their  friends,  and  large  sums 
of  money  were  wagered  on  the  result,  the  four  older 
ships,  especially  the  Sea  Witch,  having  established 
high  reputations  for  speed.  The  Samuel  Russell 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Charles  Low,  previously 
of  the  Houqua,  while  the  Eouqua  was  now  com- 
manded by  Captain  McKenzie;  Captain  Gordon  was 
again  in  the  Memnon,  and  Captain  George  Fraser, 
who  had  sailed  with  Captain  Waterman  as  chief 
mate,  commanded  the  Sea  WitcJu 

The  Samuel  Russell  arrived  at  San  Francisco 
May  6,  1850,  after  a  passage  of  1(^0  days  from  New 
York,  thus  knocking  11  days  off  the  record,  and  her 
friends  and  backers  felt  confident  that  this  pas- 
sage could  not  be  surpassed,  at  all  events  not  by 
any  of  the  clippers  of  that  year.  This  opinion  was 
in  a  measure  confirmed  when  the  Houqiia  arrived 
on  July  23d,  120  days  from  New  York,  but  on  the?' 
following  day  the  Sea  Witch  came  romping  up  the 
bay,  1)7  days  from  Sandy  Hook,  reducing  the  record 


146  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

by  another  12  days.  This  passage  astonished  every 
one,  even  her  warmest  admirers,  and  well  it  might, 
for  it  has  never  been  equalled  by  a  ship  of  her 
tonnage  and  not  often  excelled  even  by  larger  ves- 
sels. This  performance  of  the  Sea  Witch  was  the 
more  remarkable  as  she  had  rounded  Cape  Horn 
during  the  Antarctic  midwinter. 

The  remainder  of  the  fleet  arrived  in  the  follow- 
ing order:  Memnon,  September  27th,  123  days; 
Celestial,  November  1st,  104  days;  Race  Horse,  from 
Boston,  November  24th,  109  days;  and  the  Man- 
darin, November  29th,  126  days  from  New  York. 
These  were  all  fine  passages,  especially  when  we 
consider  that  none  of  the  vessels  was  over  1100  tons 
register.  The  records  show  that  from  June  26  to 
July  28,  1850,  seventeen  vessels  from  New  York 
and  sixteen  from  Boston  arrived  at  San  Francisco, 
whose  average  passages  were  159  days,  so  that  even 
the  Mandarin's  passage  of  126  days  was  very  fast 
by  comparison.  We  must  remember  also  that  none 
of  these  vessels  had  the  advantage  of  using  Maury's 
Wind  and  Current  Charts,  as  at  that  time  sufficient 
material  had  not  been  collected  to  perfect  them. 

Navigators  of  all  nationalities  are  deeply  in- 
debted to  Lieutenant  Matthew  Fontaine  Maury, 
U.  S.  N.,  for  it  was  his  mind  that  first  conceived 
the  idea  of  exploring  the  winds  and  currents  of 
the  ocean.  Lieutenant  Maury  was  a  Virginian  by 
birth,  and  in  1825  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  entered 
the  United  State  Navy  as  a  midshipman  on  board 
the  frigate  Brandywine.  In  1830  he  was  appointed 
sailing  master  of  the  sloop  of  war  Falmouth,  and 
ordered  to  the  Pacific  station.     At  this  time,  being 


Maury's  Wind  and  Current  Charts    147 

anxious  to  make  a  rapid  passage  round  Cape  Horn, 
he  searched  in  vain  for  information  relating  to  the 
winds  and  currents.  His  attention  was  thus  di- 
rected to  this  subject,  and  it  was  upon  this  voyage 
that  he  conceived  the  design  of  his  celebrated  Wind 
and  Current  Charts.  He  also  began  at  this  time 
to  write  papers  for  the  American  Journal  of  Science 
which  attracted  much  attention,  and  on  his  return 
he  published  a  Treatise  on  Navigation  which  was 
made  a  text-book  for  the  pupils  of  the  Naval 
Academy  at  Annapolis. 

In  1842  Lieutenant  Maury  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Depot  of  Charts  and  Instruments  at  Wash- 
ington, which  afterwards  became  the  National  Ob- 
servatory and  Hydrographic  Office.  Here  he  de- 
voted his  attention  to  collecting  and  converting  into 
systematic  tables  the  valuable  data  contained  in 
the  old  log-books  of  the  United  States  warships, 
which  he  found  stowed  away  as  so  much  rubbish, 
and  which  had  narrowly  escaped  being  sold  for 
junk.  At  the  same  time  he  presented  a  paper  to 
the  National  Institute,  recommending  that  all  mer- 
chant ships  be  provided  with  charts  of  sailing  direc- 
tions, "  on  which  should  be  daily  registered  all 
observable  facts  relating  to  the  winds,  currents,  and 
other  phenomena  of  importance  and  interest,  for 
the  foundation  of  a  true  theory  of  the  winds." 

A  general  use  of  these  charts  would  have  con- 
stituted one  of  the  greatest  exploring  expeditions 
ever  devised,  but  for  a  time  it  met  with  much 
opposition.  Lieutenant  Maury's  first  convert  was 
Captain  Jackson  of  the  Baltimore  ship  D.  C.  Wright, 
trading  to  Rio  Janeiro,  who  made  rapid  voyages 


14S  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

with  the  aid  of  the  Wind  and  Current  Charts  fur- 
nished by  Lieutenant  Maury.  Soon  there  were  many 
followers  among  American  sea-captains,  who  gave 
their  earnest  co-operation  and  received  great  bene- 
fits in  return,  since  all  who  kept  Maury's  Log,  as  it 
was  called,  were  entitled  to  a  copy  of  the  Sailing 
Directions. 

In  1856  the  captains  and  officers  of  a  fleet  of  no 
less  than  a  thousand  merchant  ships,  sailing  under 
the  United  States  flag  upon  every  sea  and  ocean, 
were  recording  daily  and  almost  hourly  observa- 
tions of  the  winds  and  currents.  Under  the  British 
flag  were  to  be  counted  the  whole  Navy  of  Great 
Britain  and  over  one  hundred  merchantmen;  under 
the  flag  of  Holland,  two  hundred  and  twenty-five 
merchant  ships  and  those  of  the  Royal  Navy.  Be- 
sides these  there  were  the  ships  of  France,  Spain, 
Portugal,  Italy,  Belgium,  Prussia,  Denmark,  Swe- 
den, Norway,  Russia,  Chili,  Bremen,  and  Hamburg, 
all  co-operating  and  assisting  this  great  scientist 
in  his  noble  work. 

Maury's  Physical  Geography  of  the  Sea  (1853), 
the  first  work  of  the  kind  which  appeared,  ran 
through  twenty  editions  and  was  translated  into 
French,  Dutch,  Swedish,  Spanish,  and  Italian.  This 
book  treats  of  the  clouds,  winds,  and  currents  of  the 
ocean  in  a  scientific  yet  ath  ir  iv^  manner,  dispel- 
ling the  last  of  the  sea  myths  wlii'^^h  for  ages  had  been 
the  delight  of  poets  and  the  tert-or  if  sailors,  and  in 
their  stead  relating  a  story  0"  seitntific  discovery 
of  greater  wonder  and  beauly  tb?      any  fable. 

Maury's  researches  had,  however,  a  very  practical 
side    to    them.     Hunt's    Merchants'    Magazine    for 


^s^^        "~~^?--.:~^ 


Matthew  Fontaine  Maury 


Maury's  Wind  and  Current  Charts   149 

Ma}^,  1854,  states  that  on  the  outward  passages 
alone  from  New  York  to  California,  Australia,  and 
Rio  Janeiro,  American  ships,  through  the  use  of 
Maury's  Sailing  Directions,  were  saving  in  time 
the  sum  of  |2,250,()0()  per  annum,  and  it  is  probable 
that  could  an  estimate  have  been  made  of  the  sav- 
ing in  time  to  all  of  the  ships  using  the  Sailing 
Directions,  the  total  amount  must  have  consider- 
ably exceeded  |10,000,000  per  annum. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  this  result  had 
been  accomplished  without  expenditure  of  money, 
beyond  the  moderate  salaries  of  Maury  and  his  staff 
of  assistants,  and  the  insignificant  cost  of  printing 
the  blank  log-books,  charts,  and  sailing  directions. 

Sea-captains  of  all  nations  regarded  Lieutenant 
Maury  as  a  wise  counsellor  and  faithful  friend,  while 
France,  Holland,  Sweden,  Spain,  Italy,  Russia, 
Prussia,  Austria,  Portugal,  and  Sardinia,  all  either 
conferred  upon  him  orders  of  knighthood  or  struck 
medals  in  his  honor. 

In  ISGl,  Lieutenant  Maury  resigned  the  office  of 
Chief  Superintendent  of  the  National  Observatory 
and  Hydrographic  Office,  deeming  it  his  duty  as  a 
Virginian  to  take  the  side  of  his  State  at  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War.  Upon  this  occasion  he  re- 
ceived letters  of  invitation  from  the  Grand  Duke 
Constantine  offering  him  residence  in  Russia  and 
every  facility  for  continuing  his  scientific  re- 
searches. A  similar  offer  was  made  by  Prince 
Napoleon  on  behalf  of  France,  and  also  by  the 
Archduke  Maximilian  of  Austria.  In  1866  a  pecu- 
niary testimonial  was  presented  to  Lieutenant 
Maury  at  Willis's   Rooms,   London,  where  he  was 


150  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

entertained  by  English  naval  officers  and  scientific 
men  of  the  highest  distinction,  Sir  John  Parkington 
being  chairman.  England,  France,  Russia,  and 
Holland  contributed  3000  guineas,  a  substantial 
token  of  their  esteem  and  gratitude  for  his  labors 
in  the  service  of  mankind. 

On  one  occasion  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Graham, 
wrote  to  Lieutenant  Maury  as  follows: 

"  Indeed,  I  doubt  whether  the  triumphs  of  navi- 
gation and  the  knowledge  of  the  sea,  achieved  under 
your  superintendence  of  the  Observatory,  will  not 
contribute  as  much  to  an  effective  Naval  Service 
and  to  the  national  fame  as  the  brilliant  trophies 
of  our  arms." 

Maury  died  in  1873,  in  his  sixty-seventh  year,  an 
American  scientist  whose  life  was  devoted  to  dis- 
covering the  secrets  of  the  sea,  and  to  the  welfare 
of  seamen,  irrespective  of  rank  or  nationality.  In 
lamenting  his  death,  the  Senate  of  Virginia  closed 
its  resolutions  with  this  eulogy: 

"  An  honor  to  Virginia,  an  honor  to  America,  and 
an  honor  to  civilization,  and  in  gratefully  recogniz- 
ing this  we  do  but  honor  ourselves." 


I 


CHAPTER  X 

CALIFORNIA    CLIPPERS    OF    1851    AND    THEIR    COMMAND- 
ERS— A  DAY  ON  BOARD  THE  "  WITCH  OF  THE  WAVE  " 

A  LITTLE  more  than  sixty  thousand  tons  of 
shipping  had  been  launched  from  the  ship- 
yards in  and  near  New  York  during  the  year  1850, 
and  over  thirty  thousand  tons  were  still  under 
construction  there  when  the  year  closed,  while  the 
total  tonnage  of  vessels  built  in  the  United  States 
that  year  was  306,034  tons. 

At  this  period  the  California  clippers  increased 
rapidly  in  size.  Ships  of  a  new  type  from  1500  to 
2000  tons  register,  of  which  the  Stag-Hound  was  the 
pioneer,  were  now  being  built,  and  ship-builders 
were  called  upon  to  deal  with  the  problem  of  fit- 
ting wooden  spars  and  hemp  rigging  that  would 
stand  the  stress  and  strain  of  the  enormous  amount 
of  canvas  that  these  powerful  vessels  were  expected 
to  carry.  The  rigging  and  handling  of  this  new 
type  of  long-limbed  clipper,  with  her  unexplored 
peculiarities,  gave  ship-builders  and  sea-captains 
some  serious  thinking  and  the  ship  lovers  of  South 
Street  something  to  talk  about  and  argue  over. 

Thirty-one  California  clippers  were  launched  dur- 
ing the  year  1851,  and  almost  all  the  large  ship- 

151 


152  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

yards  along  the  Atlantic  seaboard  were  represented 
by  one  or  more.  Donald  McKay  built  the  Flying 
Cloud,  Flying  Fish,  and  Staffordshire;  William  H. 
^Yebb,  the  Challenge,  Invincihle,  Comet,  Gazelle,  and 
Sword-Fish;  Fernald  and  Pettigrew,  of  Portsmouth, 
the  Typhoon;  Jacob  A.  Westervelt  &  Sons,  the  Eor- 
net  and  A^.  B,  Palmer;  George  Raynes,  the  ^Vild 
Pigeon  and  Witch  of  the  Wave;  Smith  &  Co.,  of 
Hoboken,  the  Hurricane;  Perrin,  Patterson  &  Stack, 
of  Williamsburg,  the  Ino;  Briggs  Bros.,  of  South 
Boston,  the  Northern  Light  and  Southern  Cross; 
Hood  &  Co.,  of  Somerset,  the  Raven;  J.  O.  Curtis, 
of  Medford,  the  Shooting  Star;  J.  Williams,  the 
Tornado,  Isaac  Taylor,  of  Medford,  the  Syren; 
Trufant  &  Drummond,  of  Bath,  the  Monsoon,  and 
Jacob  Bell,  the  Trade-Wind. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  name  the  handsomest 
of  these  ships,  for  while  they  were  all  of  the  same 
general  design,  each  possessed  her  special  type  of 
beauty;  and  beauty,  as  we  all  know,  is  elusive,  de- 
pending largely  on  fashion  and  individual  taste. 
In  order  to  attract  the  favorable  attention  of  ship- 
pers and  to  secure  the  highest  rates  of  freight,  it 
was  necessary  that  these  ships  should  be  handsome 
as  well  as  swift.  Ship-owners  were  content  to  spend 
large  sums  of  money,  not  only  upon  refined  decora- 
tion, which  was  but  a  small  portion  of  the  ex- 
pense, but  also  in  carefully  selected  woods,  such  as 
India  teak  and  Spanish  mahogany  for  deck  fittings, 
and  in  the  finest  shipwright's  and  joiner's  work 
about  the  decks,  which  were  marvels  of  neatness 
and  finish. 

Ship-builders  certainly  had  every  incentive  to  ex- 


California  Clippers  of  1851         153 

ercise  their  best  skill  upon  these  vessels;  they  re- 
ceived pretty  much  their  own  prices  for  building 
them,  and  each  ship,  as  she  sailed  out  upon  the 
ocean,  held  in  her  keeping  the  reputation  of  her 
builder,  to  whom  a  quick  passage  meant  fame  and 
fortune.  Six  of  the  clipper  ships  launched  in 
1851,  the  Flying  Cloud,  Comet,  Sword-Fish,  Witch 
of  the  Wave,  Ino,  and  Northern  Light,  established 
speed  records  that  have  not  yet  been  broken,  and 
as  time  rolls  on,  the  probability  that  they  ever  will 
be,  becomes  less  and  less. 

The  Flying  Cloud  was  originally  contracted  for 
by  Enoch  Train,  the  good  friend  of  Donald  McKay, 
but  while  on  the  stocks  she  was  sold  to  Grinnell, 
Minturn  &  Co.,  under  whose  flag  she  sailed  for  a 
number  of  years.  Mr.  Train  used  to  say  that  there 
were  few  things  in  his  life  that  he  regretted  more 
than  parting  with  this  ship.  She  was  1783  tons 
register,  and  measured:  length  225  feet,  breadth 
40  feet  8  inches,  depth  21  feet  6  inches,  with  20 
inches  dead-rise  at  half  floor.  Her  main-yard  was 
82  feet  and  her  mainmast  88  feet  in  length,  and 
like  all  the  large  clippers  of  her  day,  she  carried 
three  standing  skysail  yards;  royal,  topgallant  and 
topmast  studdingsails  at  the  fore  and  main,  square 
lower  studdingsails  with  swinging  booms  at  the 
fore;  single  topsail  yards,  with  four  reef  bands  in 
the  topsails;  single  reefs  in  the  topgallant  sails, 
and  topsail  and  topgallant  bowlines. 

She  was  commanded  by  Captain  Josiah  Perkins 
Creesy,  who  was  born  at  Marblehead  in  1814.  Like 
most  boys  who  were  brought  up  along  the  coast  of 
Massachusetts  Bay,  he  began  his  career  by  being 


154  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

skipper  and  all  hands  of  a  borrowed  thirteen-foot 
dory,  with  the  usual  leg-o'-mutton  sail,  and  steered 
by  an  oar  over  her  lee  gunwale.  In  these  dories 
water  was  carried  in  a  strong  earthen  jug  with  a 
stout  handle  to  which  a  tin  drinking-cup  was  usu- 
ally attached,  while  a  wooden  dinner-pail,  such  as 
the  Gloucester  fishermen  used  in  those  days,  con- 
tained provisions.  When  the  rode  line  was  coiled 
down  clear  with  the  killick  stowed  away  forward, 
and  the  dinner-pail,  wooden  bailer,  and  water  jug 
had  been  made  fast  with  a  lanyard  to  the  becket 
in  the  stern  sheets,  the  famous  Cape  Ann  dory  was 
about  ready  for  sea. 

Joe  Creesy  was  a  genuine  boy,  large  and  strong 
for  his  age,  freckled,  good-tempered,  and  fond  of 
rowing,  sailing,  and  fishing.  When  he  got  to  be 
thirteen  or  fourteen  years  old,  he  used  to  get  some 
one  to  lend  him  a  dory,  and  in  this,  during  his 
summer  vacation,  he  would  make  short  cruises  to 
Beverly  and  sometimes  to  the  neighboring  port  of 
Salem.  Here  he  would  loiter  about  the  wharves, 
watching  an  Indiaman  discharge  her  fragrant  cargo, 
or  perhaps  some  ship  fitting  out  for  another  voyage 
to  India  or  China;  and  he  would  gaze  up  in  wonder 
and  admiration  at  the  long  tapering  masts,  with 
their  lofty  yards  and  studdingsail  booms,  and  what 
appeared  to  him  to  be  a  labyrinth  of  blocks  and 
slender  threads.  The  ships'  figureheads,  especially 
those  representing  warriors  and  wild  animals, 
pleased  Joe  mightily,  and  the  spare  spars,  gratings, 
capstans,  boats,  guns,  and  shining  brass  work,  all 
delighted  his  heart.  Occasionally  he  would  behold 
a  sea-captain  who  had  really  sailed  to  Calcutta  and 


California  Clippers  of  1851         155 

Canton,  and  the  bronzed  mariner  was  to  him  a  being 
quite  apart  from  other  mortals. 

At  that  time  Salem  retained  much  of  the  spicy, 
maritime  flavor  of  the  olden  days,  and  these  pleas- 
ant summer  cruises  to  the  old  seaport  naturally 
captivated  the  boy's  imagination,  until  he  yearned 
for  the  time  when  he,  too,  might  stand  upon  the 
quarter-deck  in  command  of  a  noble  ship.  It  would, 
of  course,  have  been  sinful  to  keep  a  boy  like  this 
on  land,  so  he  was  permitted  to  follow  his  inclina- 
tion and  ship  before  the  mast  on  board  of  a  vessel 
bound  for  the  East  Indies.  He  advanced  steadily 
through  all  the  grades  on  shipboard,  and  became  a 
captain  at  twenty-three. 

When  Captain  Creesy  was  appointed  to  command 
the  Flying  Cloud,  he  was  well  known  in  New  York, 
as  he  had  commanded  the  ship  Oneida,  for  a  number 
of  years  in  the  China  and  East  India  trade,  and 
bore  a  high  reputation  among  ship-owners  and  un- 
derwriters, many  of  whom  were  his  personal  friends 
and  associates. 

The  Flying  Fish  was  owned  by  Sampson  &  Tappan, 
who,  with  George  B.  Upton,  were  the  leading  Bos- 
ton ship-owners  of  their  day,  and  between  them 
owned  the  largest  and  finest  clipper  ships  belonging 
to  that  port.  These  firms  were  composed  of  men 
in  the  prime  of  life,  who  enjoyed  owning  fast  and 
handsome  vessels.  They  cared  for  nothing  but  the 
best  in  design,  construction,  and  equipment,  and 
fitted  out  their  ships  with  spare  gear,  stores,  and 
provisions  upon  a  most  generous  scale.  The  Flying 
Fish  was  1505  tons  register  and  measured:  length 
198  feet  6  inches,  breadth  38  feet  2  inches,  depth 


156  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

22  feet,  with  25  inches  dead-rise  at  half  floor.  Her 
commander,  Captain  Edward  Nickels,  had  sailed 
out  of  Boston  for  a  number  of  years  in  command 
of  the  ship  John  Quincy  Adams,  and  was  a  fine  sea- 
man and  navigator.  He  was  fond  of  entertaining 
his  friends  while  in  home  and  foreign  ports,  and  his 
jolly  little  lunches  and  dinners  were  regarded  as 
models  of  refined  hospitality  on  shipboard.  Com- 
mander John  A.  H.  Nickels,  U.  S.  N.,  is  a  son  of 
Captain  Edward  Nickels. 

Mr.  Webb's  Challenge,  a  still  larger  merchantman 
than  had  yet  been  constructed,  was  regarded  with 
pride  by  the  shipping  men  of  New  York.  The 
Challenge  registered  2006  tons,  and  measured: 
length  230  feet  6  inches,  breadth  43  feet  6  inches, 
depth  27  feet  6  inches,  with  42  inches  dead-rise  at 
half  floor.  Her  mainmast  was  97  feet  and  main- 
yard  90  feet  in  length,  and  the  lower  studdingsail 
booms  were  GO  feet  long;  with  square  yards  and 
lower  studdingsails  set,  the  distance  from  boom 
end  to  boom  end  was  160  feet.  She  carried  12,780 
running  yards  of  cotton  canvas,  which  was  woven 
especially  for  her  by  the  Colt  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany. Her  mainsail  measured :  80  feet  on  the  head, 
100  feet  on  the  foot,  with  a  drop  of  47  feet  3  inches, 
and  49  feet  6  inches  on  the  leach.  She  had  four 
reefs  in  her  topsails,  and  single  reefs  in  her  top- 
gallant sails,  and  carried  skysails,  studdingsails, 
and  ringtail.  She  was  owned  by  N.  L.  &  G.  Gris- 
wold,  of  New  York,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Robert  H.  Waterman,  late  of  the  Sea  Witch. 

The  Invincihle,  owned  by  J.  W.  Phillips  and 
others,  of  New  York,  was  1767  tons  register,  and 


California  Clippers  of  1851         157 

measured :  length  221  feet,  breadth  41  feet  6  inches, 
depth  24  feet  10  inches.  She  was  commanded  by 
Captain  H.  W.  Johnson,  a  gentleman  who  possessed 
a  merry  wit  and  a  vivid  imagination.  Some  of  his 
experiences  by  land  and  sea,  as  related  by  himself, 
were  certainly  startling,  and  he  told  them  with  a 
minuteness  of  detail  and  an  earnestness  of  manner 
that  carried  conviction  equal  to  the  most  realistic 
illusions  of  the  drama.  There  was  one  story  about 
a  mutiny  on  board  the  British  brig  Diadem,  of 
which  vessel  Johnson  said  he  was  second  mate. 
This  craft  carried  a  Lascar  crew,  and  was  in  the 
Bay  of  Bengal,  bound  from  Calcutta  to  Hong-kong 
with  a  cargo  of  opium,  when  a  mutiny  broke  out 
in  which  all  hands  took  part  with  such  ferocious 
valor  that  the  second  mate  and  the  serang,  both 
badly  wounded,  were  the  only  survivors. 

The  listeners  are  shown  the  dead  bodies  of  Euro- 
peans and  Asiatics,  lying  about  the  blood-stained 
deck  under  the  fierce  rays  of  the  southern  sun,  and 
we  breathe  the  tainted  air,  while  chattering  cor- 
morants and  screeching  fishhawks  tear  the  thin 
clothing  of  the  corpses  into  shreds  and  fight  with 
claw  and  beak  over  the  decaying  flesh.  Johnson 
and  the  serang,  so  widely  separated  by  blood,  lan- 
guage, and  religion,  now  united  by  a  bond  of  com- 
mon sufi'ering,  help  each  other  to  crawl  into  the 
caboose  for  shelter  from  the  heat  and  from  the 
birds  of  prey.  Now  we  hear  the  gentle  chafing  of 
the  gear  aloft,  and  the  lazy  slatting  of  the  sails, 
as  the  brig  rolls  upon  the  long,  glassy  swell;  we 
see  the  sun  sink  beyond  the  ocean's  rim  in  a  glory 
of  gold  and  purple  that  illumines  the  zenith   and 


158  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

turns  the  sea  into  a  lake  of  fire;  and  we  feel  the 
benediction  of  the  cool  twilight  and  whispering 
breeze. 

In  the  silence  of  the  night,  the  two  men,  weak 
from  loss  of  blood,  drag  themselves  aft  to  the  de- 
serted cabin ;  Johnson  lowers  himself  down  the 
companion  and  gropes  his  way  to  the  pantry,  where 
he  finds  food  to  share  with  his  companion.  In  the 
captain's  cabin  he  finds  a  decanter  of  brandy  and 
a  tumbler  in  the  rack  at  the  foot  of  the  berth; 
he  fills  the  glass  and  pours  the  spirit  down  his 
parched  throat  to  brace  his  shattered  nerves,  then 
fills  the  glass  again  and  takes  it  to  the  serang,  but 
the  faithful  follower  of  Mahomet  refuses  to  lift  it 
to  his  burning  lips.  We  live  with  them  as  they 
work  their  little  vessel  back  to  the  muddy  waters 
of  the  Hooghly  and  sight  a  pilot  brig  lying  at 
anchor  on  her  station,  and  their  joy  is  ours  when 
the  pilot,  with  his  leadsman,  servant,  and  boat's 
crew,  comes  on  board.  Again  these  unfortunate 
men,  haggard  and  still  suffering  from  their  wounds, 
are  being  tried  in  an  Anglo-Indian  Court  of  Justice 
under  a  charge  of  murder  on  the  high  seas,  and  we 
hear  the  judge  pronounce  their  solemn  sentence  of 
death. 

The  scenes  to  which  I  have  referred  were  so  real 
that  it  seemed  as  if  Johnson,  while  describing  them, 
must  have  believed  this  story  himself,  and  it  was 
interesting  to  note  the  effect  upon  those  who  heard 
it  for  the  first  time,  when,  after  giving  a  circum- 
stantial account  of  the  miraculous  escape  of  the 
serang  and  himself  from  the  Calcutta  prison  during 
the  night  before  they  were  to  be  hanged,  he  would 


California  Clippers  of  1851         159 

cheerfully  remark,  "  Well,  now,  I  call  that  a  pretty 
good  yarn  to  spin  out  of  nothing."  Then  some  one, 
perhaps  a  lady,  might  say,  '^  Why,  Captain  John- 
son, is  it  not  true?"  and  he  would  smile  pleasantly 
and  reply,  "  True  ?  Why  bless  your  soul,  I  never 
heard  of  a  brig  called  the  Diadem,  and  never  was 
in  Calcutta  in  my  life."  He  had  a  number  of  these 
stories,  and  in  China  we  never  tired  of  listening 
to  them. 

Captain  Johnson  was  an  uncommonly  able  man 
and  a  most  agreeable  companion.  He  remained  in 
command  of  the  Invincihle  for  several  years,  and 
in  the  early  sixties  he  took  in  succession  three  frail 
wooden  side-wheel  river  steamboats,  the  Fire  Dart, 
Fire  Cracker,  and  Fire  Queen,  from  New  York 
round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  China,  with  no 
accident  or  mishap — a  remarkable  achievement.  In 
1866,  Captain  Johnson  was  the  navigator,  but 
not  in  command,  of  the  yacht  Yesta  in  her  race 
with  the  Henrietta  and  Fleetwing  across  the 
Atlantic. 

The  Comet  was  1836  tons  register,  and  measured : 
length  229  feet,  breadth  42  feet,  depth  22  feet  8 
inches.  She  was  owned  by  Bucklin  &  Crane,  of 
New  York,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain  E.  C. 
Gardner,  late  of  the  Celestial,  in  whose  hands  she 
gained  a  high  reputation  for  speed. 

The  Sword-Fish  was  owned  by  Barclay  &  Living- 
ston, of  New  York,  and  was  1036  tons  register; 
length  169  feet  6  inches,  breadth  36  feet  6  inches, 
depth  20  feet.  Although  not  so  extremely  sharp  as 
the  larger  ships  built  by  Mr.  Webb  during  that 
year,  she  was  quite  as  handsome,  and  while  com- 


i6o  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

manded  by  Captain  Babcock  she  eclipsed  them  all 
in  speed. 

Captain  David  Sherman  Babcock,  brother-in-law 
of  Captain  N.  B.  Palmer,  was  born  at  Stonington 
in  1822,  and  came  of  a  distinguished  family,  his 
father  being  Major  Paul  Babcock  and  his  grand- 
father Colonel  Harry  Babcock  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  He  received  the  usual  New  England  school 
education  of  those  days,  which  appears  to  have 
been  a  sufficient  equipment  for  some  of  the  most 
useful  men  that  the  United  States  has  yet  produced. 

As  a  boy  David  developed  a  strong  desire  for  a 
seafaring  life,  which  cannot  be  wondered  at,  as  at 
that  period  Stonington  and  the  neighboring  town  of 
Mystic  were  flourishing  seaports,  whose  ships  sailed 
to  every  quarter  of  the  globe,  and  whose  jovial 
mariners  kept  the  social  atmosphere  well  charged 
with  shadowy  visions  of  strange  lands,  ancient  tem- 
ples, pagodas,  palms,  and  coral  isles  lying  in  dis- 
tant tropical  seas.  The  departure  of  a  ship  with 
colors  flying,  the  crisp,  incisive  orders  of  her  cap- 
tain and  mates,  and  the  clomp,  clomp,  clomp,  of  the 
windlass  pawl,  the  songs  of  the  sailors  heaving  up 
anchor,  the  hum  of  the  running  gear  as  it  rendered 
through  the  blocks,  and  the  music  of  their  straining 
sheaves  to  the  last  long  pulls  on  sheets  and  hall- 
iards, were  a  more  potent  means  of  recruiting 
bright,  young  boys,  soon  to  become  mates  and  cap- 
tains of  American  ships,  than  all  the  press-gangs 
that  were  ever  heard  of. 

So  it  came  about  that  young  Babcock,  at  the  age 
of  sixteen,  was  allowed  to  ship  as  boy  before  the 
mast  with  Captain  Nat  Palmer  on  board  the  Hiher- 


California  Clippers  of  1851         i6i 

nia,  and  later  he  sailed  again  with  Captain  Palmer 
as  an  officer  on  board  the  Garrich.  After  making 
voyages  to  India  and  China  on  board  of  various 
ships,  he  was  appointed  at  the  age  of  twenty-five 
to  command  the  ship  Charlestown  on  a  voyage  to 
Callao  and  Lima.  In  1850,  Captain  Babcock  mar- 
ried Charlotte,  the  youngest  daughter  of  Joseph 
Noyes,  of  Stonington,  and  W.  I.  Babcock,  the  well- 
known  naval  architect  and  engineer,  who  first  in- 
troduced the  scientific  construction  of  steel  vessels 
on  the  Great  Lakes,  is  their  son. 

The  Typhoon  was  owned  by  D.  &  A.  Kingsland, 
of  New  York,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Charles  H.  Salter,  who  was  born  at  Portsmouth  in 
1824,  and  an  ancestor  of  his,  Captain  John  Salter, 
commanded  a  vessel  in  the  European  trade  during 
Colonial  times,  and  for  generations  the  Salters  had 
sailed  out  of  Portsmouth  in  command  of  ships.  Cap- 
tain Charles  Salter  went  to  sea  at  an  early  age, 
and  at  twenty-two  commanded  the  ship  Venice  and 
later  the  Samuel  Badger. 

The  Typhoon  was  1610  tons  register,  and  meas- 
ured :  length  225  feet,  breadth  41  feet  6  inches,  depth 
23  feet.  She  was  fully  rigged  on  the  stocks  and 
was  launched  with  skysail-yards  aloft  and  colors 
flying.  Before  loading  for  San  Francisco  she  was 
sent  by  her  owners  to  Liverpool  and  made  the  pas- 
sage from  Portsmouth  during  the  month  of  March 
in  13  days,  10  hours  from  wharf  to  dock.  She  fre- 
quently ran  ISy^  knots  by  the  log  on  this  passage, 
her  best  day's  run  being  34G  miles.  At  Liverpool 
she  attracted  much  attention,  as  she  was  not  only 
the   first   American    clipper,   but   also   the   largest 


1 62  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

merchant    ship   that   had   ever   been    seen    at   that 
port. 

The  N.  B.  Palmer  was  1490  tons  register,  and 
measured:  length  214  feet,  breadth  39  feet,  depth 
22  feet.  She  was  owned  by  A.  A.  Low  &  Brother, 
and  was  commanded  by  another  brother.  Captain 
Charles  Porter  Low.  He  was  born  at  Salem  in 
1824,  and  when  a  child  removed  with  his  parents 
to  Brooklyn.  At  any  early  age  he  manifested  a 
decided  liking  for  ships  and  the  society  of  sailors, 
and  much  against  the  wishes  of  his  parents,  he  de- 
termined to  go  to  sea.  In  1842  he  shipped  as  boy 
before  the  mast  on  board  of  the  Horatio,  with  Cap- 
tain Howland  and  made  the  round  voyage  to  China. 
He  made  a  voyage  to  Liverpool  with  Captain  Gris- 
wold  in  the  Toronto  as  ordinary  seaman,  and  was 
an  able  seaman  on  board  the  Courier  to  Rio  Janeiro. 
He  then  sailed  as  third,  second,  and  chief  mate  of 
the  Houqua,  with  the  brothers,  Captain  Nat,  Alex- 
ander, and  Theodore  Palmer,  and  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three  took  command  of  that  ship.  As  we 
have  seen,  he  also  commanded  the  Samuel  Russell 
on  her  first  voyage  to  San  Francisco. 

The  N.  B.  Palmer  was  perhaps  the  most  famous 
ship  built  in  the  Westervelt  yard.  In  China  she 
was  known  as  "  the  Yacht,'^  and  with  her  nettings 
in  the  tops,  brass  guns,  gold  stripe,  and  her  lavish 
entertainments  on  the  Fourth  of  July  and  Washing- 
ton's Birthday,  she  well  deserved  the  title.  Her 
captain  was  a  princely  host,  as  well  as  a  thorough 
seaman,  and  a  fine  navigator.  A  full-rigged  model 
of  the  N.  B.  Palmer  was  exhibited  at  the  Crystal 
Palace,   London,    in    1851,   and   attracted   much   at- 


California  Clippers  of  1851         163 

tention  as  a  fine  example  of  the  American  clipper- 
ship  type. 

The  HufTicane  was  owned  by  C.  W.  &  H.  Thomas, 
of  New  York,  and  registered  1G07  tons.  She  had 
the  reputation  of  being  the  sharpest  ship  ever  built 
at  or  near  New  York,  and  she  carried  plenty  of 
canvas,  with  Cunningham's  rolling  topsails,  being 
one  of  the  first  American  vessels  so  fitted.  Across 
the  lower  part  of  her  foretopsail  she  carried  her 
name  painted  in  large  black  letters  that  could  be 
read  much  further  than  any  signals  and  looked  very 
smart  and  shipshape.  Her  commander,  Captain 
Samuel  Very,  was  born  at  Salem  in  1815,  and  was 
a  son  of  John  Crowninshield  Very,  a  mariner  who 
had  sailed  on  many  a  brave  Salem  ship.  Among 
other  experiences,  he  was  one  of  the  survivors  of 
a  shipwreck  in  mid-ocean  during  the  year  1810, 
when  he  was  picked  up  by  a  passing  vessel  after 
twenty-three  days  in  an  open  boat.  Admiral  Samuel 
W.  Very,  U.  S.  N.,  is  a  son  of  Captain  Samuel  Very, 
and  was  born  at  Liverpool  while  the  Hurricane  lay 
in  the  Mersey. 

The  Northern  Light,  of  1021  tons  register,  meas- 
ured: length  180  feet,  breadth  36  feet,  depth  21 
feet  6  inches.  She  was  a  very  sharp  ship  below 
the  water-line,  with  40  inches  dead-rise  at  half  floor, 
and  full,  powerful  lines  above  water  and  on  deck. 
She  was  built  by  the  Briggs  Brothers  at  South 
Boston,  and  owned  by  James  Huckins  of  Boston. 
Mr.  Huckins  was  a  jolly,  kind-hearted  gentleman 
whom  every  one  liked.  His  house-flag  was  a  white 
field,  swallowtail,  with  a  blue  star  in  the  centre, 
and  when  he  took  his  two  sons  into  partnership, 


1 64  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

he  placed  two  exceedingly  small  blue  stars  in  the 
upper  and  lower  luff  of  the  flag,  as  he  remarked, 
"  to  represent  their  interest  in  the  business.'^ 
This,  however,  was  his  joke,  as  he  was  most  liberal 
in  every  way.  After  this  ship  had  made  her  cele- 
brated record  passage  from  San  Francisco  to  Bos- 
ton, Mr.  Huckins  usually  closed  his  discussions  upon 
the  speed  of  clipper  ships  by  saying,  "  Well,  anyway, 
none  of  them  can  beat  my  l^orthern  Light." 

The  Trade  Wind  measured:  length  248  feet, 
breadth  40  feet,  depth  25  feet,  and  was  2030  tons 
register,  being  24  tons  larger  than  the  Challenge. 
Those  two  ships  were  the  largest  clippers  that  were 
ever  built  at  or  about  New  York,  and  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  Ocean  Monarch,  a  packet  ship  of 
2145  tons  register,  built  by  William  H.  Webb  in 
1856,  were  the  largest  sailing  ships  ever  constructed 
at  that  port.  The  Trade  Wind  was  an  exceedingly 
sharp  and  handsome  ship,  and  attracted  a  great 
deal  of  attention.  It  was  estimated  that  more  than 
thirty  thousand  persons  gathered  about  Jacob  Bell's 
shipyard  at  the  foot  of  Houston  Street,  East  River, 
one  bright  morning  in  August  of  that  year  to  see 
her  launched.  She  was  owned  by  W.  Piatt  &  Son, 
of  Philadelphia,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain 
W.  H.  Osgood,  late  of  the  ship  Valparaiso, 

The  Nightingale,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  clip- 
pers launched  in  1851,  was  not  built  for  the  Cali- 
fornia trade,  but  was  originally  intended  for  a 
yacht.  This  ship  was  constructed  by  Samuel  Hans- 
com,  at  Portsmouth,  with  the  intention  of  carrying 
passengers  to  the  World's  Fair,  held  in  London 
during  that  year,  and  was  fitted  with  extensive  and 


California  Clippers  of  1851         165 

,  luxurious  accommodations  for  that  purpose,  her 
between-decks  being  given  up  to  large  saloons  and 
staterooms.  It  was  proposed,  after  her  arrival  at 
London,  to  exhibit  her  in  the  Thames  as  a  model 
American  clipper  ship,  and  no  expense  or  skill  was 
spared  to  make  her  a  worthy  representative.  She 
was  1066  tons  register,  length  178  feet,  breadth  36 
feet,  depth  20  feet,  with  36  inches  dead-rise  at  half 
floor. 

Unfortunately,  when  the  Nightingale  was  nearly 
completed,  and  ready  for  launching,  her  owners  fell 
short  of  money.  Mr.  Hanscom,  however,  carried 
out  his  contract,  and  the  ship  was  finished  and 
then  put  into  the  hands  of  Governor  Goodwin,  of 
Portsmouth,  to  dispose  of,  each  sub-contractor 
agreeing  to  accept  his  jn^o  rata  share  of  the  pro- 
ceeds. She  was  taken  to  Boston  and  there  attracted 
the  attention  of  Sampson  &  Tappen,  who  were  so 
well  pleased  with  the  ship  that  they  gladly  paid 
the  sum  of  |75,000  for  her.  This  left  the  sub- 
contractors, such  as  sparmakers,  sailmakers,  riggers, 
and  blockmakers,  an  additional  profit  beyond  their 
contract,  and  Mr.  Hanscom  also  realized  a  larger 
amount  than  he  would  have  received  under  the 
original  contract.  So  great  was  the  excitement 
over  the  news  from  California,  and  so  keen  the 
demand  for  clippers  at  this  time,  that  almost 
any  of  them  could  have  been  sold  for  a  substan- 
tial advance  upon  their  contract  price.  Those  were 
the  palmy  days  of  the  ocean  carrying  trade, 
and  at  no  period  before,  or  since,  have  ships 
yielded  such  golden  harvests  to  their  builders  and 
owners. 


1 66  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

The  Witch  of  the  Wave  registered  1494  tons,  and 
measured:  length  202  feet,  breadth  40  feet,  depth 
21  feet,  with  40  inches  dead-rise  at  half  floor.  Her 
mainmast  was  90  feet  and  her  mainyard  81  feet  in 
length.  Though  built  at  Portsmouth,  she  was  owned 
by  Captain  John  Bertram  and  Alfred  Peabody,  of 
Salem,  and  was  the  pride  of  that  ancient  seaport. 
It  was  usual  in  those  days  for  owners  to  entertain 
on  board  their  ships  when  favorable  opportunity 
offered,  so  the  trip  of  the  Witch  of  the  Wave  from 
Portsmouth  to  Salem  to  obtain  her  register  was 
made  an  occasion  of  festivity. 

The  first  of  May  was  the  day  selected,  but  lower- 
ing clouds  and  squalls  of  wind  and  rain  decided 
Captain  Bertram  to  postpone  the  cruise  until  more 
favorable  weather,  and  those  of  his  guests  who  had 
appeared  upon  the  scene  were  rewarded  by  an  op- 
portunity to  examine  the  ship  at  their  leisure.  They 
found  her  a  very  handsome  vessel,  with  grace  and 
beauty  in  every  line  and  curve  of  her  hull.  Her 
decks  were  remarkably  clear,  with  plenty  of  room 
for  working  ship,  and  the  between-decks  had  more 
than  ample  head  room  and  were  well  ventilated. 
Her  figurehead  represented  a  young  woman  par- 
tially clad  in  gossamer  drapery  of  white  and  gold, 
with  one  shapely  arm  extended  and  her  small  bare 
feet  lightly  stepping  upon  the  crest  of  a  wave,  while 
the  stern  was  ornamented  with  a  seashell  in  which 
a  child  was  being  drawn  by  dolphins.  These  de- 
signs were  executed  by  John  W.  Mason,  of  Boston, 
and  were  of  decided  artistic  merit.  The  cabins  and 
staterooms  were  finished  in  the  most  luxurious  man- 
ner, the  wainscot  of  the  main  cabin  being  of  rose- 


California  Clippers  of  1851         167 

wood,  birdseje  maple,  satin  and  zebra  wood, 
exquisitely  polished,  with  cornices  and  mouldings 
of  white  and  gold. 

After  an  inspection  of  the  ship  lunch  was  served, 
and  Ephraim  F.  Miller,  Collector  of  the  Port  of 
Salem,  proposed  the  following  toast :  '^  Success  to 
the  newest  and  youngest  of  the  Salem  Witches. 
She  perhaps  includes  in  her  composition  an  equal 
amount  of  craft  with  her  unfortunate  predecessors. 
Had  they  possessed  a  proportional  share  of  her 
beauty,  we  are  confident  that  the  sternest  tribunal 
before  which  any  of  them  were  arraigned,  would 
never  have  had  the  heart  to  subject  a  single  one 
to  the  trial  to  which  their  successor  is  designed — 
the  Trial  by  Water."  This  sentiment  was  received 
with  applause  by  the  company,  who  then  separated, 
some  returning  to  Salem  by  train,  while  others 
remained  over  night,  to  be  ready  for  the  next  day 
in  case  the  weather  improved.  In  the  evening 
the  Raynes  Mansion  was  the  scene  of  generous 
hospitality. 

During  the  night  the  sky  cleared,  the  sun  came 
up  warm  and  bright  with  a  pleasant  northwesterly 
breeze,  and  the  early  morning  found  Portsmouth  in 
a  state  of  bustle  and  excitement.  Wagons  laden 
with  hampers,  bags,  and  boxes  of  good  things,  with 
plenty  of  ice  to  keep  them  cool,  were  unloaded 
alongside  the  ship,  and  presently  the  R.  B.  Forbes 
appeared  steaming  up  the  river  with  a  big  bone 
in  her  teeth,  the  embodiment  of  energy  and  strength. 
The  morning  train  came  in,  bringing  a  large  number 
of  men  and  women,  from  Boston,  Salem,  and  New- 
buryport,  who,  with  the  Portsmouth  guests,  made 


1 68  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

a  distinguished  company  of  more  than  two  hundred 
persons. 

At  about  eleven  o'clock,  everything  being  ready, 
the  Witch  of  the  Wave,  with  colors  flying  and  the 
Boston  Cadet  Band  on  board  playing  "  The  Star- 
Spangled  Banner,"  was  towed  out  into  the  stream 
amid  the  shouts  and  cheers  of  a  multitude  of 
people,  who  thronged  the  wharves  and  shipyards 
along  the  river.  After  passing  through  the  Narrows 
and  rounding  New  Castle  Point,  the  R.  B.  Forhcs, 
which  had  been  towing  alongside,  took  her  hawser 
out  ahead  and  shaped  a  course  for  Cape  Ann,  which 
brought  the  wind  well  over  the  starboard  quarter. 
The  breeze  had  freshened,  though  the  sea  was  still 
quite  smooth,  and  this,  with  the  clear,  blue  sky  and 
bright  sunshine,  made  a  day  altogether  too  fine  to 
be  spent  on  shore. 

Many  of  those  on  board  were  interested  to  see 
what  effect  some  canvas  would  have  on  the  new 
clipper,  so  Mr.  Eaynes  said  to  Captain  Bertram 
that  he  thought  it  might  perhaps  be  a  good  plan 
to  set  some  sail,  ^'  just  to  assist  the  tow-boat  a 
little."  Captain  Bertram,  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye, 
said  he  thought  so,  too,  and  gave  orders  to  loose 
the  topsails,  jib,  and  foretopmast  staysail.  The 
Witch  of  the  Wave  had  a  crew  of  Portsmouth 
riggers,  shipped  by  the  run  to  Boston,  and  it  did 
not  take  them  long  to  put  the  topsails  on  her.  As 
soon  as  the  yards  were  braced,  she  began  to  dart 
through  the  water  like  a  fish,  and  soon  ranged  up 
on  the  w^eather  beam  of  the  R.  B.  Forbes,  the  hawser 
towing  between  them  with  the  bight  skipping  along 
among  the  blue  waves  in  showers  of  sparkling  spray. 


On  the  **  Witch  of  the  Wave"      169 

On  board  the  R.  B.  Forbes  the  safety  valve  was 
lifting,  with  steam  at  thirty  pounds  pressure  mur- 
muring in  protest  to  the  breeze.  There  was  great 
joy  on  board  the  Witch  of  the  Wave,  with  cla^jping 
of  hands  and  waving  of  handkerchiefs,  while  the 
band  struck  up  "  A  Life  on  the  Ocean  Wave."  The 
log  was  hove,  and  she  took  nine  and  one  half  knots 
off  the  reel.  The  topsail  yards  were  then  lowered 
on  the  caps,  and  the  reef  tackles  hauled  out,  yet 
with  only  this  small  canvas,  the  R.  B.  Forhes  did 
not  have  much  towing  to  do. 

After  rounding  Thacher's  Island,  a  banquet  was 
served  on  tables  in  the  between-decks,  which  were 
decorated  with  the  ensigns  of  all  nations,  and  at 
the  close  of  the  entertainment  speeches  were  made 
by  E.  H.  Derby,  a  grandson  of  Salem's  great  mer- 
chant of  that  name,  Charles  H.  Parker,  Henry  N. 
Hooper,  and  the  Hon.  Charles  W.  Upham;  then  the 
following  resolution  was  adopted  with  hearty 
cheers : 

"  Ship  Witch  of  the  Wave, 
''  Off  Salem  Light,  May  2,  1851. 
"  At  a  meeting  of  invited  guests,  held  this  after- 
noon, it  was  unanimously 

'^Resolved — That  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  here 
assembled  gratefully  acknowledge  the  courtesy,  kind- 
ness, and  generous  hospitality  of  Captain  John 
Bertram  and  the  other  owners  of  the  Witch  of  the 
Wave,  on  this  festive  day,  and  tender  their  best 
wishes  for  the  success  of  this  noble  vessel. 

"  E.  H.  Derby,  Chairman. 
"  Charles  H.  Parker,  Secretary^' 


170  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

After  this,  Jonathan  Nicholas,  of  Salem,  recited 
the  following  impromptu  lines: 

^'  I  wonder  what 's  the  dreadful  row 
They  're  kicking  up  in  Portsmouth  now ! 
The  people  running  up  and  down 
Crying  ^  All  Salem  's  come  to  town ! ' 

Clear  the  track,  the  ship  is  starting! 
Clear  the  track,  the  ship  is  starting! 
Clear  the  track,  the  ship  is  starting! 
And  Portsmouth  hearts  are  sad  at  parting. 

"  They  say  a  man  came  down  to-day 
To  carry  the  Witch  of  the  Wave  away; 
And  the  people  think  he  ought  n't  oughter 
Just  because  he  's  been  and  brought  her. 

"  They  called  it  rainy  yesterday. 
But  I  know  better,  anyway ; 
'T  was  only  Portsmouth  people  crying 
To  see  the  good  ship's  colors  flying ! 

"  But  Captain  B.  said,  ^  Hang  the  sorrow ! 
The  sun  is  bound  to  shine  to-morrow.' 
And  when  he  speaks  it 's  no  use  talking — 
So  the  clouds  and  the  blues,  they  took  to  walk- 
ing. 

"  And  so  to-day  the  sun  shines  bright. 
And  Salem  sends  her  heart's  delight; 
And  the  good  ship  flies,  and  the  wind  blows  free, 
As  she  leaps  to  her  lover's  arms — the  sea! 


On  the  ** Witch  of  the  Wave"      171 

'^  They  have  crowded  her  deck  with  the  witty  and 
wise, 
The  saltest  wisdom  and  merriest  eyes ; 
And  manned  her  yards  with  a  gallant  crew 
That  it  tickles  her  staunch  old  ribs  to  view. 


"  They  say  she  's  bound  to  sail  so  fast 
That  a  man  on  deck  can't  catch  the  mast ! 
And  a  porpoise  trying  to  keep  ahead, 

^   Will  get  run  over  and  killed  stone  dead. 


"  Then  here  's  a  health  to  the  hands  that  wrought 

her. 
And  three  times  three  to  the  mind  that  thought 

her 
For  thought 's  the  impulse,  work  's  the  way 
That  brings  all  Salem  here  to-day. 

"Clear  the  track,  the  ship  is  starting! 
Clear  the  track,  the  ship  is  starting! 
Clear  the  track,  the  ship  is  starting! 
And  Portsmouth  hearts  are  sad  at  parting.-' 


Repeated  rounds  of  applause  greeted  this  effusion, 
and  the  company  went  on  deck  where  music  called 
the  dancers  to  their  feet.  The  wind  had  died  out, 
and  as  the  sun  began  to  set  in  the  west,  the  Witch 
of  the  Wave  anchored  in  Salem  harbor.  The  day's 
pleasure  was  brought  to  a  close  by  a  portion  of 
the  company  singing  these  lines  of  Whittier's  that 
had  been  get  to  music  for  the  occasion ; 


172  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

"  God  bless  her  wheresoe'er  the  breeze 
Her  snowy  wings  shall  fan, 
Beside  the  frozen  Hebrides 
Or  sultry  Hindostan ! 

"  Where'er,  in  mart  or  on  the  main, 
With  peaceful  flag  unfurled. 
She  helps  to  wind  the  silken  chain 
Of  commerce  round  the  world. 

"  Her  pathway  on  the  open  main 
May  blessings  follow  free. 
And  glad  hearts  welcome  back  again 
Her  white  sails  from  the  sea! " 

The  guests  were  landed  in  boats  at  Phillips's 
wharf,  in  time  to  reach  their  homes  by  the  early 
evening  trains,  and  on  the  following  day  the  R.  B. 
Forhes  towed  the  Witcli  of  the  Wave  to  Boston, 
where  she  loaded  in  Glidden  &  Williams's  Line  for 
San  Francisco,  under  the  command  of  Captain  J. 
Hardy  Millett. 


CHAPTER  XI 

CALIFORNIA    CLIPPER    PASSAGES    OP    1851 

EACH  of  the  clippers  had  her  devoted  admirers, 
who  gave  tangible  proof  of  loyalty  by  invest- 
ing money  liberally  in  support  of  their  belief  in 
her  speed.  At  that  period  the  merchants  and  ship- 
owners of  Boston  used  to  meet  "  on  'change "  in 
front  of  the  old  Merchants'  Exchange  in  State 
Street,  and  before  going  home  to  their  comfortable 
two  o'clock  dinners,  these  old-time  gentlemen  would 
lay  many  a  quiet  wager  upon  the  Northern  Light, 
Flying  Fish,  Witch  of  the  Wave,  Raven,  John  Bert- 
ram, Shooting  Star,  or  Game  Cock  as  to  their  rela- 
tive speed  and  the  length  of  their  passages  from 
Boston  to  San  Francisco. 

In  New  York  the  Astor  House  was  the  meeting- 
place  of  merchants,  ship-builders,  and  sea-captains, 
who  carried  on  endless  arguments  concerning  the 
merits  of  the  clipper  ships,  their  builders,  owners, 
and  captains,  and  discussed  the  latest  shipping  news 
with  untiring  earnestness.  These  men  knew  whereof 
they  spoke,  for  almost  any  evening  there  was  suffi- 
cient capital  represented  by  ship-owners  to  pay  for 
half  a  dozen  clippers,  and  the  men  were  there  also 
who  could  build  and  navigate  them.  Occasionally 
an    argument   would   reach    a   i)()int   of   animation 

173 


174  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

where  something  had  to  be  done,  and  one  might 
hear  a  remark  very  much  like  this :  "  No,  no, 
Henry,  I  can't  do  that,  but  I  will  lay  five  dol- 
lars at  one  to  three  on  the  Challenge  against 
the  fleet,  bar  one,  or  the  same  even  on  the  Flying 
Cloud  against  the  N,  B.  Palmer,'^  These  were 
pleasant  evenings,  gay  with  the  clink  of  mugs 
and  glasses  and  the  murmur  of  small  talk  and 
laughter  rippling  among  wreaths  of  smoke  from 
fragrant  Havanas,  until,  at  a  little  before  ten, 
Michael,  the  venerable  barkeeper  would  announce, 
"  Gentlemen,  I  will  take  the  last  orders  of  the 
evening;  we  close  in  ten  minutes." 

The  interest  in  clippers  was  not  confined  to  sea- 
men and  capitalists,  for  when  the  mail  steamer 
from  Aspinwall  was  reported  toiling  up  the  bay, 
there  would  be  a  large  number  of  persons  patiently 
waiting  on  the  wharf,  who  were  not  expecting 
friends  among  the  passengers  or  crew,  but  who 
had  come  to  hear  the  latest  news,  then  five  or  six 
weeks  old,  of  arrivals  of  clipper  ships  at  San 
Francisco. 

The  first  clipper  to  arrive  at  San  Francisco  from 
New  York  in  1851  in  less  than  110  days  was  the 
teaman,  a  smart  little  Baltimore  ship  of  546  tons. 
She  made  a  fine  passage  of  107  days,  arriving  on 
March  11th. 

The  second  to  arrive  was  the  Surprise,  A  mer- 
chant of  San  Francisco  wagered  heavily  on  her 
beating  the  passage  ef  the  Sea  Witch — 97  days — 
of  the  year  before,  and  as  the  time  limit  grew  near 
he  began  to  feel  rather  nervous.  On  the  morning 
of  her  ninety-sixth  day  out,  March  19th,  he  thought 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851   175 

if  the  Surprise  was  going  to  win  his  money  for 
him  it  was  about  time  for  her  to  do  it,  so  he 
mounted  his  horse  and  rode  over  to  the  North 
Beach  to  get  a  glimpse  of  her  if  she  was  in  sight. 
He  found  the  weather  thick  outside  and  so  returned, 
but  he  had  not  reached  his  counting-room  before 
the  Smyrise  had  passed  the  Golden  Gate.  And  by 
noon,  Captain  Dumaresq  was  with  his  friends  on 
shore,  96  days  from  New  York.  The  Surprise  had 
sailed  16,308  miles  since  leaving  Sandy  Hook,  and 
had  reefed  topsails  but  twice.  It  should  not,  how- 
ever, be  supposed  that  she  had  not  had  plenty  of 
wind,  for  it  was  usually  blowing  hard  when  Cap- 
tain Dumaresq  began  to  think  of  taking  in  his 
topgallantsails,  to  say  nothing  of  reefing  topsails. 
A  list  of  her  cargo  on  this  voyage  filled  a  manifest 
twenty-five  feet  long,  and  her  freight  amounted  to 
the  sum  of  |78,000. 

The  Sea  Serpent  arrived  on  May  17th,  after  putting 
into  Valparaiso  for  repairs,  as  she  had  lost  spars 
and  sails  off  Cape  Horn.  She  had  made  the  pas- 
sage in  115  days,  deducting  her  delay  at  Valparaiso. 
This  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  disasters  which  be- 
fell the  clippers  that  year,  and  which  proved  pretty 
clearly  that  their  power  of  carrying  canvas  had 
been  underestimated.  It  became  quite  evident  that 
these  ships  could  stand  stouter  spars  and  rigging, 
and  indeed  required  them. 

The  Eclipse^  Captain  Hamilton,  also  went  into 
Valparaiso  with  the  loss  of  some  of  her  spars  and 
sails,  and  allowing  for  her  loss  of  time  in  port, 
made  the  passage  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco 
in  112  days,  arriving  May  20th,  with  the  remarkable 


176  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

run  of  63  days  from  New  York  to  Valparaiso  to 
her  credit.  Captain  Hamilton  was  not  only  an  ac- 
complished mariner,  but  a  most  delightful  compan- 
ion, and  he  had  many  friends  in  San  Francisco, 
some  of  whom  gave  a  dinner  at  the  Niantic  Hotel 
in  honor  of  his  arrival  on  this  occasion.  When  the 
proper  moment  came,  one  of  the  party  proposed 
the  health  of  Captain  Hamilton,  and  this  is  the  way 
he  did  it: 

"  Gentlemen !  I  give  you  the  shipper-clips — the 
clippy — sh — the,  gentlemen,  I  give  you  the — the 
slipper."  Here  he  paused,  steadied  himself  by 
the  table  edge,  bowed  with  great  dignity,  and  began 
again  very  slowly :  "  Gentlemen  ! — I — give — you — 
the — ship — E—clipse,  and  her  gallant  cap'n  Hamil- 
ton," and  then  with  an  at-peace-with-all-the-world 
grin,  this  disciple  of  Silenus  subsided. 

The  Niantic  had  a  curious  history,  even  for  a 
San  Francisco  hotel.  This  refuge  for  the  traveller, 
or  rather  a  portion  of  it,  had  originally  been  the 
British  ship  Niantic  which  arrived  at  Valparaiso 
from  Liverpool  just  as  the  California  gold  fever 
was  at  its  height.  She  was  bought  by  a  Chilean 
merchant  and  started  for  Panama,  where  she  loaded 
a  cargo  of  tropical  fruits  and  two  hundred  and 
forty-eight  passengers,  and  arrived  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, July  5,  1849.  Most  of  the  fruit  had  either 
been  devoured  by  the  passengers  or  become  so  de- 
cayed that  it  was  thrown  overboard,  and  as  soon 
as  the  anchor  w^as  down,  the  captain  and  all  hands 
cleared  out  for  the  mines,  leaving  the  ship  to  take 
care  of  herself. 

After  some  months   of  neglect,  she  was  bought 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851   177 

by  a  real  estate  speculator,  who  hauled  her  broad- 
side to  ou  the  beach,  at  what  was  then  the  foot  of 
Clay  Street,  and  turned  her  into  a  warehouse.  By 
degrees  the  old  craft  found  herself  embedded  in 
some  ten  or  twelve  feet  of  sand  and  mud  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  the  water-front,  but  she 
made  more  money  for  her  owner  here  than  at  any 
other  time  in  her  career,  until  one  of  the  periodical 
fires  swept  away  her  top  sides.  The  rest  of  her 
hull,  which  being  below  ground  had  escaped  de- 
struction, became  the  cellar  of  the  Niantic  Hotel, 
erected  over  her  remains,  and  had  the  reputation 
of  being  the  only  tight  and  dry  cellar  in  the 
neighborhood. 

In  the  course  of  time  the  Niantic  Hotel  was  torn 
down  to  make  room  for  a  more  substantial  building, 
and  upon  clearing  away  the  debris  to  secure  a  more 
solid  foundation,  thirty-five  baskets  of  champagne 
w^ere  discovered  hidden  away  among  the  floor  tim- 
bers of  the  old  hull,  where  they  had  remained  un- 
molested for  some  twenty-one  years.  So  faithfully 
had  the  wine  been  bottled  and  so  dry  had  been  its 
resting-place,  that  there  was  not  a  speck  of  rust 
on  the  wires  securing  the  corks,  and  the  labels  were 
as  fresh  as  the  day  they  were  put  on,  while  the 
wine  was  found  to  have  retained  much  of  its  ori- 
ginal sparkle  and  touquet.  It  was  the  then  cele- 
brated Jacquesson  Fils  brand,  which  at  the  time 
of  its  arrival  might  easily  have  been  sold  for  $25 
a  bottle.  I  am  not  sure  that  it  did  not  sell  at  nearly 
its  former  value,  for  almost  every  one  in  San  Fran- 
cisco in  1870  needed  at  least  one  bottle  with  which 
to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  his  arrival  "  in  the 


I7B  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

fall  of  Forty-nine  or  the  spring  of  Fifty,"  and  thirty- 
five  baskets  would  seem  a  small  allowance  for  that 
vast  and  increasing  multitude. 

The  Stag-Hound  arrived  May  2Gth.  She  sailed 
from  New  York  in  January,  and  when  six  days  out 
in  a  heavy  southeast  gale,  her  maintopmast  and 
three  topgallantmasts  came  down  by  the  run.  She 
was  without  a  maintopsail  for  nine  days  and  with- 
out topgallantsails  for  twelve  days;  nevertheless, 
she  crossed  the  equator  21  days  from  Sandy  Hook, 
arrived  at  Valparaiso  in  66  days  under  jury  rig, 
and,  allowing  for  her  detention  there,  reached  San 
Francisco  107  days  from  New  York.  Captain 
Richardson  reported  that  she  was  a  very  fast  ship 
in  moderate  breezes,  while  in  strong  winds  she  fre- 
quently logged  sixteen  and  seventeen  knots,  although 
her  best  day's  run  was  only  358  miles. 

The  Witchcraft  arrived  August  11th.  She,  too, 
had  suffered  aloft  and  put  into  Valparaiso  for  spars 
and  repairs,  and,  allowing  for  this  delay,  she  had 
made  the  passage  from  New  York  in  10.3  days.  The 
N,  B.  Palmer  arrived  August  21st  in  108  days,  and 
the  Flying  Cloud  on  August  31st  in  89  days — a  pas- 
sage never  surpassed  and  only  twice  equalled — once 
three  years  later  by  the  Flying  Cloud  herself,  and 
once  in  1860  by  the  Andrew  Jackson. 

The  Flying  Cloud's  abstract  log  on  this  passage 
is  as  follows: 

Sandy  Hook  to  the  equator 21  days. 

Equator  to  50°   S 25 

50°  S.  in  the  Atlantic  to  50°  S.  in  Pacific.   7 

50°    S.  to  the  equator 17 

Equator  to  San  Francisco 19 

Total    ^ 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851  179 

It  was  during  this  passage  that  the  Flying  Cloud 
made  her  famous  run  of  374  miles,  while  steering  to 
the  northward  and  westward  under  topgallantsails, 
after  rounding  Cape  Horn.  This  was  the  fastest 
day's  run,  under  steam  or  sail,  that  had  ever  been 
made  up  to  that  time,  and  exceeded  by  42  miles  the 
best  day's  run  that  had  ever  been  made  by  a  mail 
steamship  on  the  Atlantic.  A  few  extracts  from 
her  log  will,  I  think,  be  of  interest: 

"  June  6th  (three  days  out  from  Kew  York).  Lost 
main  and  mizen  topgallantmasts,  and  maintopsail 
yard. — June  7th.  Sent  up  main  and  mizen  topgal- 
lantmasts and  yards. — June  8th.  Sent  up  main* 
topsail  yard. — June  14th.  Discovered  mainmast 
badly  sprung  about  a  foot  from  the  hounds, 
and  fished  it. — July  11th.  Very  severe  thunder 
and  lightning,  double  reefed  topsails,  split  fore  and 
maintopmast  stay  sails.  At  1  p.m.  discovered  main- 
mast had  sprung,  sent  down  royal  and  topgallant 
yards  and  studding  sail  booms  off  lower  and  topsail 
yards  to  relieve  strain. — July  13th.  Let  men  out 
of  irons  in  consequence  of  wanting  their  services, 
with  the  understanding  that  they  would  be  taken 
care  of  on  arriving  at  San  Francisco.  At  6  p.m., 
carried  away  the  maintopsail  tye  and  band  round 
mainmast. — July  23d.  Cape  Horn  north  five  miles. 
The  whole  coast  covered  with  snow. — July  31st. 
Fresh  breezes,  fine  weather,  all  sail  set.  At  2  p.m. 
wind  southeast.  At  6  squally;  in  lower  and  top- 
gallant studding  sails;  7,  in  royals;  at  2  a.m.  in 
foretopmast  studding  sail.  Latter  part,  strong 
gales  and  high  sea  running.  Ship  very  wet  fore 
and  aft.     Distance  run  this  day  by  observation  is 


i8o  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

374  miles.  During  the  squalls  18  knots  of  line  was 
not  sufficient  to  measure  the  rate  of  speed.  Top- 
gallantsails  set. — August  3d.  At  3  p.m.  suspended 
first  officer  from  duty,  in  consequence  of  his  arro- 
gating to  himself  the  privilege  of  cutting  up  rig- 
ging, contrary  to  my  orders,  and  long-continued 
neglect  of  duty. — August  25th.  Spoke  barque 
Amelia  Packet,  180  days  from  London  for  San 
Francisco. — August  29th.  Lost  foretopgallant  mast. 
— August  30th.  Sent  up  foretopgallant  mast. 
Night  strong  and  squally.  Six  a.m.  made  South 
Farallones  bearing  northeast  I/2  east;  took  a  pilot 
at  7;  anchored  in  San  Francisco  harbor  at  11:30 
A.M.  after  a  passage  of  89  days,  21  hours." 

An  analysis  of  this  remarkable  log  shows  that 
during  twenty-six  consecutive  days  the  Flying  Cloud 
had  sailed  a  distance  of  5912  miles,  an  average  of 
227  miles  a  day,  or  within  a  fraction  of  9%  knots, 
and  for  four  consecutive  days  284,  374,  334,  264— a 
total  of  1256,  or  314  miles  per  day,  an  average  speed 
of  13%  knots.  This  splendid  passage  of  the  Flying 
Cloud  reduced  by  one  quarter  the  clipper-ship  record 
of  120  days  made  by  the  Memnon  two  years  before, 
and  established  a  new  record  that  stands  to-day. 

This  grand  ocean  exploit  was  celebrated  in  San 
Francisco  with  rejoicing,  as  every  American  in  the 
town  felt,  now  that  the  voyage  round  Cape  Horn 
had  been  made  in  three  months,  that  he  was  nearer 
to  his  old  home  in  the  East;  while  in  the  Atlantic 
seaports  the  news  was  received  with  enthusiasm, 
and  was  regarded  by  the  press  not  only  as  a  per- 
sonal victory  for  the  owners,  builder,  and  captain 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851   i8i 

of  the  Flying  Cloud,  but  as  a  triumph  of  the  United 
States  upon  the  sea.  One  of  the  New  York  papers  ^ 
in  the  course  of  an  editorial  remarked :  "  Such  a 
passage  as  this  is  more  than  a  local  triumph,  and 
inures  to  the  reputation  not  alone  of  the  builder 
of  the  ship  and  her  enterprising  owners,  but  of  the 
United  States.  It  is  truly  a  national  triumph,  and 
points  clearly  and  unmistakably  to  the  pre- 
eminence upon  the  ocean  which  awaits  the  United 
States  of  America.  The  log  of  the  Flying  Cloud 
is  now  before  us.  It  is  the  most  wonderful 
record  that  pen  ever  indited,  for  rapid  as  was  the 
passage,  it  was  performed  under  circumstances  by 
no  means  the  most  favorable." 

The  Challenge  arrived  October  29th,  108  days 
from  New  York — a  fine  passage,  certainly,  but  not 
what  her  friends  had  hoped  or  expected.  She  had 
on  this  voyage  a  large  but  very  poor  crew — incom- 
petent and  mutinous — indeed,  some  of  them  were 
among  the  most  desperate  characters  that  ever 
sailed  out  of  the  port  of  New  York.  It  was  only  after 
the  ship  had  passed  Sandy  Hook  and  the  pilot  had 
been  discharged  that  Captain  Waterman  began 
fully  to  realize  what  a  gang  of  ruffians  he  had  to 
deal  with.  He  seriously  considered  taking  the  ship 
back  to  New  York  for  another  crew,  and  a  less  reso- 
lute man  probably  would  have  done  so;  but  he 
realized  that  it  would  mean  a  heavy  expense  to 
the  owners,  as  each  of  the  crew  had  received  three 
month's  advance  wages,  which  would  have  to  be 
paid  over  again  to  another  crew,  besides  other  ex- 
penses and  loss  of  time  and  disappointment  to  the 

^New  York  Commercial,  October  8,  1851. 


1 82  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

shippers  of  cargo,  so  he  decided  to  protect  every 
one  but  himself  and  kept  the  ship  on  her  course. 

The  crew  of  the  Challenge  consisted  of  56  men 
before  the  mast,  supposed  to  be  able  seamen,  and 
8  boys.  Of  the  men  in  the  forecastle  only  two  were 
Americans,  the  remainder  representing  most  of  the 
maritime  countries  of  Europe.  So  soon  as  Captain 
Waterman  decided  to  continue  the  voyage,  he  made 
his  plans  quickly.  After  giving  some  orders  to  Mr. 
Douglas,  his  chief  officer,  he  called  all  hands  aft 
and  manufactured  a  speech  in  which,  among  other 
things  he  said  that  the  men  would  find  that  they 
were  on  board  of  a  good  comfortable  ship,  with 
plenty  to  eat  and  very  little  work  to  do;  but  when 
the  officers  gave  them  orders  they  must  obey  will- 
ingly and  quickly;  that  he  hoped  none  of  them  had 
brought  spirits  or  weapons  on  board,  as  such  things 
were  apt  to  make  trouble  at  sea.  This  camp-meeting 
discourse  occupied  perhaps  fifteen  or  twenty  min- 
utes, during  which  the  mates,  carpenter,  sailmaker, 
and  boatswain  were  employed  in  the  forecastle 
breaking  open  chests  and  boxes,  emptying  bags,  and 
gathering  up  bottles  of  rum,  knuckle-dusters,  sling- 
shots, bowie-knives,  and  pistols  which  they  threw 
over  the  side.  After  the  watches  were  chosen,  each 
man  w^as  made  to  lay  his  knife  on  the  main  hatch, 
where  the  carpenter  broke  the  point  of  the  blade 
off  square. 

It  was  found  that  only  six  men  among  the  crew 
could  steer  the  ship  properly;  these  were  made 
quartermasters  and  did  nothing  else  during  the 
passage  except  to  lend  a  hand  making  and  taking 
in  sail.     Fully  one  half  of  the  crew  who  had  shipped 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851    183 

as  able  seamen  were  not  sailormen  at  all,  but  black- 
legs of  the  vilest  type,  who  had  taken  this  means 
of  getting  to  the  California  gold  mines.  It  also 
developed  that  many  of  the  men  had  contracted  a 
loathsome  disease,  most  difficult  to  cure  at  sea,  and 
at  one  time  seventeen  of  the  crew  were  laid  up  and 
off  duty.  Captain  Waterman  had  the  sailroom 
turned  into  a  sick  bay,  but  although  these  men 
received  every  care,  five  of  them  died,  and  eight 
were  still  in  their  berths  when  the  Challenge  arrived 
at  San  Francisco. 

For  some  time  after  sailing  from  New  York,  Cap- 
tain Waterman  and  his  officers  were  always  armed 
when  they  came  on  deck,  but  after  a  while  the  crew 
appeared  to  be  in  such  good  shape  that  this  pre- 
caution gradually  became  neglected,  until,  one  morn- 
ing off  Rio  Janeiro,  while  Captain  Waterman  was 
taking  his  sights,  he  heard  shouts  for  help  from 
the  main  deck.  He  at  once  laid  down  his  sextant 
and  hurried  forward  to  find  the  mate,  Mr.  Douglas, 
with  his  back  to  the  port  bulwark  just  abaft  the 
main  rigging,  defending  himself  with  bare  fists 
from  four  of  the  crew  armed  with  knives,  w^ho  were 
attacking  him.  As  Captain  Waterman  ran  along 
the  main  deck  he  pulled  a  heavy  iron  belaying  pin 
out  of  the  rail,  and  using  this  with  both  hands  as 
a  club,  he  dealt  a  terrific  blow  on  the  skull  of  each 
of  the  would-be  assassins,  which  laid  them  out  on 
deck — two  of  them  dead.  Mr.  Douglas  had  re- 
ceived no  less  than  twelve  wounds,  some  of  them  of 
a  serious  nature;  indeed,  he  barely  escaped  with  his 
life.  From  that  time  the  officers  always  carried  arms, 
and  there  w^as  no  further  trouble  with  the  crew. 


184  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Off  Cape  Horn  three  men  fell  from  aloft,  one  of 
whom  was  drowned  while  two  struck  the  deck  and 
were  killed.  The  bodies  of  the  men  who  died  were 
sewn  up  in  canvas  with  holystones  at  their  feet, 
and  were  buried  in  the  sea.  Captain  Waterman 
read  the  funeral  service  over  their  remains,  but  the 
ship  was  not  hove  to  as  the  braces  were  never  al- 
lowed to  be  started  except  when  absolutely  neces- 
sary, owing  to  the  difficulty  and  danger  of  handling 
the  yards  with  such  an  inferior  crew.  The  bodies 
of  the  two  men  who  attempted  to  murder  the  chief 
officer  were  taken  from  where  they  fell  and  lowered 
into  the  sea.  Many  years  afterward  Captain  Water- 
man told  me  that  he  could  not  bring  himself  to 
read  the  Christian  burial  service  over  these  corpses, 
but  that  he  gave  the  crew  permission  to  take  the 
bodies  forward,  and  offered  them  canvas,  holystones, 
and  a  prayer-book  with  which  to  hold  their  own 
service,  but  none  of  the  crew  would  volunteer  to 
bury  these  men. 

The  Challenge  had  moderate  winds  the  whole  pas- 
sage, excepting  a  succession  of  westerly  gales  off 
Cape  Horn,  and  with  her  wretched  crew  besides, 
there  was  really  no  opportunity  properly  to  test 
her  speed.  Her  best  day's  run  was  only  336  miles, 
with  the  wind  abeam  and  skysails  set.  She  was  55 
days  from  Sandy  Hook  to  Cape  Horn,  thence  34 
days  to  the  equator  in  the  Pacific,  and  19  days  from 
the  equator  to  San  Francisco.  The  great  wonder 
is,  not  that  Captain  Waterman  made  such  a  fine 
passage,  but  that  he  succeeded  in  getting  his  ship 
to  San  Francisco  at  all. 

Soon  after  the  Challenge  rounded  to  and  let  go 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851  185 

anchor,  in  San  Francisco  Bay,  she  was  boarded  by 
a  throng  of  crimps  and  runners  who  at  once  took 
the  crew  and  their  dunnage  ashore.  There  was 
nothing  unusual  in  this,  for  it  happened  nearly 
every  day,  captains  and  mates  being  powerless  to 
prevent  it.  A  gang  of  longshoremen  would  then  be 
sent  aboard  at  wages  of  from  |3  to  |5  an  hour  each, 
to  heave  up  anchor,  put  the  ship  alongside  the  wharf, 
stow  sails  and  clear  up  the  decks.  As  these  pros- 
perous sons  of  toil  were  never  in  much  of  a  hurry, 
it  usually  required  from  four  to  five  hours  to  finish 
up  these  jobs,  and  meant  a  heavy  expense  to  the 
ship-owner  for  work  that  should  have  been  done  by 
the  crew. 

When  the  crew  of  the  Challenge  got  on  shore, 
some  of  them  had  terrible  tales  to  tell  about  their 
hardships  and  privations  during  the  voyage;  how 
they  had  been  nearly  starved  to  death;  how  some 
of  the  crew  had  starved  to  death  or  been  murdered, 
and  their  bodies  hove  overboard  like  dead  rats,  and 
how  six  men  had  been  shot  from  the  mizzentopsail 
yard  in  a  gale  of  wind  off  Cape  Horn.  According 
to  these  blatant  imposters,  no  such  floating  hell  as 
the  Challenge  had  ever  before  set  sail  upon  the 
ocean,  and  as  for  Captain  Waterman,  he  was  a 
blood-thirsty,  inhuman  navigator,  the  like  of  whom 
had  never  been  seen  or  heard  of,  since  the  days 
when  Noah  put  his  ship  ashore  among  the  moun- 
tains of  Ararat.  All  this  was,  of  course,  profitable 
material  for  journalists,  one  impetuous  knight  of 
the  pen  actually  proposing  that  Captain  Waterman 
should  be  burned  alive,  until  finally  the  publisher 
of  this  attack  became  frightened  for  his  own  safety, 


1 86  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

as  he  had  incited  the  most  dangerous  set  of  men, 
perhaps,  that  ever  existed  in  any  seaport — ticket-of- 
leave  from  Australia,  cut-throats  from  New  Mexico, 
and  drainings  from  the  social  gutters  and  cesspools 
of  European  ports. 

At  this  moment  San  Francisco  happened  to  be 
in  one  of  the  numerous  stages  of  reform  through 
which  that  amazing  city  has  passed.  It  had  re- 
cently emerged  from  a  reign  of  lawlessness  and 
mob  rule  under  the  guidance  of  a  Vigilance  Com- 
mittee, and  while  this  admirable  body  of  citizens 
was  not  yet  disbanded,  it  had  in  a  measure  relaxed 
its  grasp  upon  public  affairs.  Now,  a  number  of 
the  newly-converted  thugs,  murderers,  and  outlaw^s 
of  the  town,  whose  necks  had  narrowly  escaped  the 
hangman's  noose,  formed  themselves  into  a  new 
"Vigilance  Committee,"  to  deal  with  Captain 
Waterman  and  the  officers  of  the  Challenge.  These 
outcasts,  crafty  and  unscrupulous  as  they  were, 
possessed  neither  the  courage  nor  the  mental  capa- 
city to  carry  out  their  own  plans.  They  accord- 
ingly called  a  public  meeting,  held  somewhere  among 
the  sandhills,  at  which  it  was  decided  to  "  execute '" 
Captain  Waterman  and  his  officers  "  on  sight,"  and 
then  burn  or  scuttle  the  vessel  at  her  wharf.  Nat- 
urally, the  real  Vigilance  Committee  were  the  first 
to  learn  of  these  proceedings,  and  at  once  took  the 
captain  and  officers  under  their  protection,  holding 
themselves  in  readiness  to  scatter  the  mob  should 
this  measure  become  necessary. 

The  crowd  that  gathered  at  the  sandhills  con- 
sisted of  two  or  three  hundred  men  who  had  lately 
been  hunted  from  one  end  of  San  Francisco  to  the 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851   187 

other,  and  had  prudently  kept  themselves  stowed 
away  in  order  to  escape  the  righteous  wrath  of  the 
Vigilance  Committee.  One  can  scarcely  conceive 
anything  more  grimly  grotesque  than  the  spectacle 
of  these  inexperienced  reformers,  in  their  red  flan- 
nel shirts  and  black  slouched  hats  with  pistols 
and  bowie-knives  stuck  in  their  leather  belts,  and 
trousers  tucked  into  the  tops  of  their  cowhide  boots, 
the  odor  of  the  gin  palace  and  dance-hall  clinging 
to  their  unwashed  skins  and  clothing,  as  they 
wended  their  way  to  Pacific  Wharf,  where  the 
Challenge  lay  moored,  and  demanded  that  Captain 
Waterman  and  his  officers  be  delivered  over  to  them 
for  purposes  of  justice. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  these  gentlemen  had 
vanished  and  no  one  but  a  few  members  of  the 
Committee  knew  where  they  were.  So  finding  that 
Captain  John  Land  had  been  placed  in  command 
of  the  ship,  the  mob  seized  this  venerable  seaman, 
and  for  more  than  an  hour  wrangled  among  them- 
selves as  to  whether  they  should  shoot,  drown,  or 
hang  him  in  place  of  Captain  Waterman.  They, 
however,  concluded  to  hold  him  as  a  hostage,  and 
walked  their  white-haired  prisoner  up  to  the  office 
of  Alsop  &  Co.,  the  agents  of  the  Challenge.  By 
this  time,  the  crowd  had  been  considerably  aug- 
mented and  numbered  about  two  thousand  men,  w^ho 
filled  the  air  of  California  Street  with  yells,  curses, 
lewd  jests,  and  ribald  songs.  They  again  demanded 
from  the  agents  that  their  intended  victims  be  given 
up,  and  six  of  the  ringleaders  forced  their  way  with 
crowbars  and  axes  into  the  house  of  Alsop  &  Co. 
At  this  point  the  bell  of  the  Monumental  Fire  En- 


1 88  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

gine  House  began  to  toll — the  well-known  signal 
that  called  the  Vigilance  Committee  to  arms — and 
long  before  the  Marshal  had  finished  reading  the 
Riot  Act,  the  mob  had  dispersed  with  alacrity. 

Captain  Waterman  was  not  the  man  to  submit 
quietly  to  such  attacks  upon  his  character  and  con- 
duct, and  he  at  once  offered  to  meet  any  charge  that 
might  be  brought  against  him  before  a  proper  legal 
tribunal.  When  no  one  appeared,  he  demanded  that 
a  full  investigation  be  made  into  the  facts  of  the 
voyage  of  the  Challenge.  It  then  appeared,  from 
the  testimony  of  a  portion  of  the  crew,  that  a  large 
number  of  the  men  who  had  shipped  in  New  York 
as  able  seamen  were  grossly  incompetent  and  des- 
perately mutinous;  that  the  food  had  been  of  the 
best,  in  fact,  the  same  quality  of  beef,  pork,  and 
flour  that  had  been  used  in  the  cabin  had  also  been 
served  to  the  crew  without  stint,  and  that  no  more 
punishment  had  been  inflicted  by  the  officers  than 
was  necessary  to  maintain  proper  discipline  for 
the  safety  of  the  ship  and  her  cargo. 

It  also  appeared  that  from  the  time  the  ship 
sailed  from  New  York  until  the  time  of  her  arrival 
at  San  Francisco,  Captain  Waterman  had  never 
been  out  of  his  clothes  except  to  change  them,  and 
had  never  slept  in  his  berth,  but  had  taken  such 
rest  as  he  could  find  upon  the  the  transom  in  his 
chart-room  near  the  companionway.  He  was  com- 
mended for  his  skill  and  courage  in  bringing  his 
vessel  safely  into  San  Francisco  without  the  loss 
of  a  spar,  sail,  or  piece  of  rigging.  It  is  therefore 
humiliating  to  record  that  neither  the  owners  of  the 
Challenge  nor  their  underwriters,  for  both  of  whom 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851   189 

Captain  Waterman  had  saved  thousands  of  dol- 
lars, ever  had  the  courtesy  to  make  the  slightest 
acknowledgment  of  his  services,  although  they  were 
well  aware  of  their  obligation  in  this  matter.  It 
is,  however,  some  consolation  to  know  that  he  asked 
and  needed  nothing  at  their  hands. 

As  we  already  have  seen,  Captain  Waterman  had 
taken  the  Pacific  Mail  steamship  Northerner  from 
New  York  to  San  Francisco  in  1850,  and  fully  in- 
tended at  that  time  to  retire  from  the  sea.  He 
was  then  forty-two  years  old,  and  had  passed  thirty- 
two  years  upon  the  ocean ;  he  possessed  ample  means, 
with  a  portion  of  which  he  bought  four  leagues 
of  land  in  Solano  County,  California,  and  it  was 
only  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  N.  L.  &  G.  Gris- 
wold,  the  owners  of  the  Challenge,  that  he  con- 
sented to  take  her  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco 
in  this  year.  He  was  now  free  to  attend  to  his 
own  affairs.  Together  with  Captain  A.  A.  Richie, 
he  founded  the  town  of  Fairfield,  California.  In 
1852,  he  was  appointed  Port  Warden  and  Inspector 
of  Hulls  at  the  port  of  San  Francisco,  a  position 
he  held  for  twenty-eight  years.  He  then  retired  to 
his  farm,  where  he  died  in  1884,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-six.  Probably  no  man  in  California  was 
more  widely  known  or  more  highly  respected. 

One  of  the  best  ocean  races  of  1851  was  that 
between  the  Raven,  Captain  Henry;  the  Typhoon, 
Captain  Salter,  and  the  Sea  Witch,  Captain  Frazer. 
These  clippers  sailed  for  San  Francisco  nearly  to- 
gether: the  Sea  Witch  passed  out  by  Sandy  Hook 
on  August  1st,  followed  by  the  Typhoon  on  August 
4th,  while  the  Raven  passed  Boston  Light  on  Au- 


190  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

gust  6th.  All  had  able  commanders,  who  carried 
Maury's  wind  and  current  charts  to  assist  them. 
In  this  month  of  light  and  baffling  breezes  a  quick 
run  to  the  equator  was  hardly  to  be  expected,  but 
these  clippers  threaded  their  way  across  the  calm 
belt  of  Cancer,  ran  down  the  northeast  trades,  and 
drifted  through  the  doldrums,  with  surprising  speed. 
The  Sea  Witch  still  kept  her  lead  at  the  equator, 
crossing  on  August  30th,  closely  followed  by  the 
Raven  and  the  Typhoon^  which  crossed  together  on 
the  31st,  so  that  the  Raven  had  gained  four  and  the 
Typhoon  two  days  on  their  swift  competitor.  They 
all  weathered  Cape  St.  Roque  and  stood  away  to 
the  southward  for  a  splendid  dash  of  over  three 
thousand  miles  through  the  southeast  trades  and 
the  strong  westerly  winds  further  south,  all  cross- 
ing the  parallel  of  50°  S.  in  the  same  longitude,  64^ 
W.  The  Raven  had  gained  another  day  on  the 
Sea  Witch  and  these  two  clippers  were  now  side 
by  side,  with  the  Typhoon  only  two  days  astern. 

Here  began  one  of  the  keenest  races  ever  sailed 
upon  the  ocean.  They  all  stood  to  the  southward 
with  studdingsail  booms  and  skysail  yards  sent 
down  from  aloft,  with  extra  lashings  on  the  boats, 
spare  spars,  and  skylights,  while  all  hands  hard- 
ened their  hearts  for  a  thrash  to  windward  round 
Cape  Horn.  On  this  desolate  ocean  the  clippers 
raced  from  horizon  to  horizon  in  heavy  westerly 
gales  and  a  long,  fierce,  sweeping  head  sea.  For 
fourteen  exciting  days  and  nights,  with  single- 
reefed,  double-reefed,  close-reefed  topsails,  reefs  in 
and  reefs  out,  their  keen,  watchful  captains  made 
use  of  every  lull  and  slant  to  drive  their  ships  to 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851  191 

the  westward  of  Cape  Horn,  across  the  great, 
broad-backed,  white-crested  seas.  The  Sea  Witch 
and  Baven  were  having  it  out  tack  for  tack,  some- 
times one  and  then  the  other  gaining  an  advantage, 
both  carrying  sail  to  the  utmost  limit  of  prudence, 
lifting  their  long,  sharp  bows  to  the  wild,  surging 
seas,  the  cold  spray  flying  across  their  decks  and 
blue  water  swirling  along  their  lee  waists,  each 
handled  with  consummate  skill,  and  not  a  spar  car- 
ried away  or  rope  parted.  The  Typhoon  in  hot 
pursuit,  was  pressing  the  two  leaders  and  slowly 
closing  upon  them,  for  her  greater  length  and  power 
helped  her  here.  Finally  the  Sea  Witch  and  Raven 
emerged  from  this  desperate  contest  side  by  side, 
as  they  had  entered  it,  both  crossing  latitude  50° 
S.  in  the  Pacific  in  fourteen  days  from  the  same 
parallel  in  the  Atlantic.  The  Typhoon  had  now 
gained  another  day,  and  was  within  twenty-four 
hours'  sail  of  each. 

Clear  of  Cape  Horn  they  all  went  away  fast  to 
the  northward,  rushing  through  the  southeast  trades 
with  studdingsails,  skysails,  water-sails,  and  ring- 
tails— every  yard  of  canvass  set  that  would  draw. 
On  this  stretch  to  the  equator,  the  Sea  Witch  fairly 
flew  through  the  water,  and  crossed  in  22  days  from 
50°  S.,  leading  the  Raven  2  and  the  Typhoon  4  days. 
They  now  stood  to  the  northward,  close-hauled  on 
the  starboard  tack,  for  their  final  struggle.  Here 
again  length  and  power  counted  in  favor  of  the 
Typhoon,  and  she  came  up  with  the  Sea  Witch  and 
Raven,  leading  them  both  into  port;  the  Raven,  too, 
for  the  first  time  fairly  headed  the  Sea  Witch.  The 
Typhoon  glided  through  the  Golden  Gate,  November 


192  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

18th,  106  days  from  Sandy  Hook;  the  Raven,  No- 
vember 19th,  105  days  from  Boston  Light,  and  the 
Sea  Witch,  November  20th,  110  dajn  from  Sandy 
Hook.    Here  is  a  brief  abstract  from  their  log-books : 

Raven     Typhoon  Sea  Witch 

To  the  equator  in  the  At- 
lantic      25  days  27  days      29  days. 

From  the  equator  to  50°  S..  21     "  23     "  22     " 

From  50°   S.  in  the  Atlantic 

to  50°  S.  in  the  Pacific.  14     "  13     "  14     " 

From  50°  S.  to  the  equator..  24     "  25     "  22     " 

From     the     equator     to     the 

Golden    Gate 21     "  18     "  23     " 


Total    105     "       106     "       110     " 

This  was  a  great  victory  for  the  Raven,  the  only 
ship  of  her  tonnage  that  ever  outsailed  the  Sea 
Witch,  to  say  nothing  of  vanquishing  the  large  and 
famous  Typhoon,  a  ship  more  than  double  her  size. 
It  should,  however,  be  remembered  with  regard  to 
the  Sea  Witch,  that  she  was  at  that  time  over  five 
years  old,  and  had  led  a  pretty  wild  life  under 
Waterman,  while  she  had  known  no  peace  with 
Frazer  in  command,  and  had  been  strained  and 
weakened  by  hard  driving.  Moreover,  a  wooden 
ship,  after  five  or  six  years,  begins  to  lose  her  speed 
through  absorbing  water,  and  becomes  sluggish  in 
light  airs.  In  her  prime  and  at  her  best  with 
Waterman  in  command,  the  Sea  Witch  was  prob- 
ably the  fastest  sailing-ship  of  her  inches  ever 
built. 

The  California  clippers  were,  of  course,  racing  all 
the  time,  against  each  other  and  against  the  record, 


California  Clipper  Passages  of  1851   193 

and  the  strain  upon  their  captains  in  driving  their 
ships  against  competitors  whose  relative  positions 
were  unknown,  was  terrific.  It  became  a  confirmed 
habit  with  them  to  keep  their  ships  going  night  and 
day  in  all  weathers  and  at  their  utmost  speed. 

In  order  to  appreciate  what  a  passage  of  110  days 
or  less  from  an  Atlantic  port  to  San  Francisco 
really  means,  we  must  take  a  few  of  the  long 
passages  of  1851,  made  by  ships  that  were  not 
clippers:  Arthur,  from  New  York,  200  days; 
Austerlitz,  Boston,  185  days;  Barrington,  Boston, 
180  days;  Bengal,  Philadelphia,  185  days;  Capitol, 
Boston,  300  days ;  Cormvallls,  New  York,  204  days ; 
Franconia,  Boston,  180  days;  Henry  Allen,  New 
York,  225  days;  Inconium,  Baltimore,  190  days. 
The  logs  of  these  vessels  tell  of  long,  weary  days 
and  nights  of  exasperating  calms,  and  dreary,  heart- 
breaking weeks  of  battle  with  tempests  off  Cape 
Horn. 

Some  of  the  vessels  built  in  1851  did  not  take 
part  in  the  races  of  that  year,  as  they  were  not 
launched  until  too  late;  and  did  not  arrive  at  San 
Francisco  before  1852.  Those  among  them  which 
became  most  famous  were  the  Hurricane,  Comet, 
Northern  Light,  Flying  Fish,  Staffordshire,  Trade 
Wind,  Sword-Fish,  and  Shooting  Star.  We  shall 
hear  of  them  later. 

The  record  of  San  Francisco  passages  for  1851 
should  not  be  closed  without  mention  of  the  pilot- 
boat  Fanny,  of  84  tons;  length  71  feet,  breadth  18 
feet  4  inches,  depth  7  feet  2  inches,  built  by  Daniel 
D.  Kelly  at  East  Boston  in  1850.  This  schooner 
was  commanded  by  Captain  William  Kelly,  a  brother 


194  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

of  her  builder,  and  arrived  at  San  Francisco  Feb- 
ruary 18,  1851,  108  days  from  Boston.  She  passed 
through  the  Straits  of  Magellan  and  thus  saved  a 
considerable  distance;  but  even  allowing  for  this, 
her  passage  was  a  very  remarkable  one  for  a  vessel 
of  her  tonnage,  and  reflects  much  credit  upon  the 
skill  and  courage  of  her  captain  and  his  plucky 
companions. 


CHAPTER  XII 

AMERICAN    COMPETITION    WITH    GREAT    BRITAIN    IN    THE 
CHINA    TRADE 

THE  California  clippers,  after  discharging  their 
cargoes  at  San  Francisco,  either  returned  in 
ballast  round  Cape  Horn,  or  continued  their  voy- 
ages across  the  Pacific  and  loaded  cargoes  at 
Asiatic  ports  for  the  United  States  or  Great  Britain. 
Some  of  the  ships  which  sailed  to  China  from 
San  Francisco,  raced  across  the  Pacific  in  ballast, 
touching  at  the  Sandwich  Islands  only  long  enough 
to  back  the  main  yard  off  Diamond  Head  and  send 
the  mails  ashore  with  perhaps  a  missionary  or  two. 
In  those  days  the  Kanaka  maidens  used  to  swim 
off  alongside  the  ships,  and  they  were  probably 
the  nearest  approach  to  mermaids  that  has  ever 
been  known  in  real  life.  The  Stag-Hound  made  the 
passage  from  San  Francisco  to  Honolulu  in  9,  and 
the  Flying  Cloud  and  SurpiHse  in  12  days  each. 
The  Flying  Cloud  sailed  374  miles  in  twenty-four 
hours,  the  day  after  leaving  San  Francisco,  with  a 
fresh  whole-sail  breeze  and  smooth  sea,  under  sky- 
sails  and  royal  studdingsails.  The  Southern  Cross 
made  the  passage  from  San  Francisco  to  Hong-kong 
in  32,  and  the  Gamc-Cock  in  35  days,  the  run  of 
the  Gaine-Cock  from  Honolulu  to  Hong-kong  in  19 

195 


196  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

days  being  most  remarkable.  When  these  and 
other  fast  American  vessels  loaded  again  in  China 
for  English  ports,  they,  of  course,  added  to  the 
competition  from  which  British  ships  were  already 
suffering. 

We  have  seen  how  the  Oriental  brought  a  cargo 
of  tea  from  China  to  England  in  1850,  and  what 
interest  her  appearance  excited  in  London.  She 
was  soon  followed  by  the  Surprise,  White  Squally 
Sea  Serpent,  Nightingale,  Argonaut,  Challenge,  and 
other  clipper  ships  built  for  the  California  trade^^ 
These  American  clippers  received  from  £6  to  £6, 
10s  freight  per  ton  of  forty  cubic  feet,  with  im- 
mediate despatch,  while  British  ships  were  loading 
slowly  at  £3,  10s  per  ton  of  fifty  cubic  feet.  The 
American  ships  made  fine  passages  and  delivered 
their  teas  in  excellent  condition;  but  what  espe- 
cially appealed  to  the  Briton  was  the  fact  that 
they  had  cleared  more  than  their  original  cost  and 
running  expenses  on  this,  their  first  voyage. 

An  able  English  writer,^  referring  to  the  Ameri- 
can clippers  engaged  in  the  China  tea-trade  at  this 
period,  remarks :  "  This  new  competition  proved 
for  a  time  most  disastrous  to  English  shipping, 
which  was  soon  driven  out  of  favor  by  the  lofty 
spars,  smart,  rakish-looking  hulls,  and  famed  speed 
of  the  American  ships,  and  caused  the  tea-trade  of 
the  London  markets  to  pass  almost  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  English  ship-owner.  British  vessels  well 
manned  and  well  found  are  known  to  have  lain  in 
the  harbor  of  Foo-chow  for  weeks   together,  wait- 

^  William  John,  in  an  article  on  clipper  ships  in  Naval 
Science,  vol.  ii.    (1873),  p.  265. 


Competition  in  the  China  Trade       197 

ing  for  a  cargo,  and  seeing  American  clippers  com- 
ing in,  loading,  and  sailing  immediately  with  full 
cargoes,  at  a  higher  freight  than  they  could 
command. 

"  This  soon  became  a  matter  of  serious  moment, 
and  the  arrival  of  these  vessels  in  the  Thames 
caused  great  excitement,  and  aroused  no  small 
amount  of  curiosity  and  criticism.  Even  the  at- 
tention of  the  Government  became  attracted  towards 
them,  and  draughtsmen  were  sent  from  the  Ad- 
miralty to  take  off  the  lines  of  two  of  the  most 
famous — the  Challenge  and  the  Oriental — when  they 
were  in  Messrs.  Green's  drydock." 

This  state  of  affairs  could  not,  of  course,  con- 
tinue without  further  arousing  British  ship-owners 
and  builders  to  the  danger  of  their  position.  Here 
was  not  one  vessel,  but  a  fleet  of  American  clippers 
bringing  cargoes  from  China  at  double  the  rates  of 
freight  that  British  ships  could  command,  and  un- 
less some  measures  were  adopted  to  check  this  in- 
vasion no  one  could  predict  where  it  might  end. 
That  British  merchants  paid  so  liberally  to  get  their 
teas  to  a  home  market  was  certainly  not  because 
they  cherished  any  special  affection  for  American 
ships  or  their  owners.  They  would  have  been  quite 
as  willing  to  pay  British  clippers  the  same  freights, 
had  there  been  any  such  to  receive  them,  or  even 
Chinese  junks,  provided  the  service  could  have  been 
performed  by  them  as  quickly  and  as  well.  So  we 
find  the  British  ship-owners  and  builders  of  that 
period  forced  to  exert  their  finest  skill  and  most 
ardent  energy. 

The  firm  of  Jardine,  Matheson  &  Co.,  of  London 


198  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

and  China,  were  the  owners  of  the  first  clipper  ship 
built  in  Great  Britain.  This  vessel  was  the  Storno- 
ivay,  506  tons,  launched  from  the  yard  of  Alexander 
Hall  &  Co.,  at  Aberdeen,  toward  the  close  of  1850 
for  the  China  trade.  It  will  be  recalled  that  this 
firm  had  built  the  clipper  schooner  Torrington,  for 
the  same  owners,  four  years  before.  The  new  ship 
was  named  for  Stornoway  Castle,  Lewis,  one  of 
the  Hebrides  Isles,  which  was  then  owned  by  Sir 
James  Matheson,  and  to  which  he  retired  after  his 
long  and  successful  career  as  ship-owner  and 
merchant  in  the  China  trade. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  the  stornoway  was  a  copy 
of  any  American  model,  as  a  comparison  of  dimen- 
sions will  clearly  show.  Comparing  her  measure- 
ments with  those  of  the  American  clipper,  barque 
Race  Horse,  of  512  tons  register,  built  by  Samuel 
Hall  at  East  Boston  in  the  same  year,  we  find : 


Length 

Breadth 

Depth 

Storyioway 

157  ft.  8  in. 

25  ft.  8  in. 

17  ft.  8  in. 

Race  Horse 

125  ft. 

30  ft. 

16  ft. 

Thus  the  Btornoioay,  while  she  exceeded  the  Race 
Horse  by  32  feet  8  inches  in  length  and  by  1  foot 
8  inches  in  depth,  yet  had  4  feet  4  inches  less 
breadth;  and  here  began  a  contest,  which  extended 
over  so  many  years,  of  breadth  against  length  and 
depth.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Stornoway 
with  more  beam  and  the  Race  Horse  with  more 
length  and  depth,  would  have  been  faster,  but  at 
the  same  time  considerably  larger  vessels.^ 

1  The  various  systems  of  calculating  the  tonnage  of  ves- 
sels which  were  in  force  in  Great  Britain  prior  to  1854, 


Competition  in  the  China  Trade      199 

The  Stornoway  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Richard  Robinson,  and  on  her  first  voyage  she  made 
the  passage  from  the  Downs  to  Java  Head  in  80 
days,  to  Hongkong  in  102  days,  and  from  Hong- 
kong to  London  in  103  days.  These  were  at  that 
time  the  quickest  passages  between  these  ports  that 
had  ever  been  made  by  a  British  vessel. 

In  1851  Alexander  Hall  &  Co.  built  the  China 
tea-clipper  Chrysolite^  of  471  tons,  for  Taylor  & 
Potter  of  Liverpool;  length  149  feet  3  inches, 
breadth  29  feet,  depth  17  feet.  As  will  be  seen 
this  vessel  approached  more  nearly  the  proportions 
of  the  Race  Horse,  having  8  feet  5  inches  less  length 
than  the  Stornoway,  with  3  feet  4  inches  more 
breadth,  and  8  inches  less  depth.  She  made  her 
first  passage  from  Liverpool  to  Canton,  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Anthony  Enright,  in  102  days, 
and  came  home  in  104  days.     She  also  made  the 

(see  Appendix  iv.,)  gave  the  breadth  measurement  a 
preponderating  influence  upon  the  result,  and  as  taxation, 
port,  and  light  dues,  etc.,  were  based  upon  the  registered 
tonnage  of  a  vessel,  there  was  economy  in  decreasing  the 
breadth  of  a  vessel  at  the  expense  of  the  other  dimen- 
sions. Ship-builders  and  owners  in  England  showed  a 
much  greater  tendency  to  profit  by  this  feature  of  the 
law  than  did  those  in  the  United  States,  where  substan- 
tially the  same  system  was  in  force.  In  this  country 
some  very  narrow  vessels  were  built  for  the  New  Orleans 
and  West  India  trade,  in  the  period  1820-1845,  but  it  was 
found  that  the  saving  in  taxation  did  not  pay  for  using 
such  an  undesirable  type  of  vessels,  so  they  were  given 
up.  As  a  rule,  American  owners  and  builders  preferred 
to  build  vessels  of  a  type  which  they  regarded  as  the  best 
for  speed  and  for  the  trade  in  which  they  were  engaged, 
without  regard  for  the  tonnage  laws. 


200  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

passage  from  Liverpool  to  Java  Head  in  80  days, 
her  best  day's  run  being  320  miles. 

The  very  keen  rivalry  between  the  British  and 
American  clipper  ships  engaged  in  the  China  trade 
at  this  time,  seems  to  have  been  stimulating  to  the 
imagination.  W.  S.  Lindsay,  in  his  History  of 
Merchant  Shipping  (vol.  iii.,  p.  291),  relates  an 
interesting  story  of  one  of  the  early  races,  and  as 
I  wish  to  do  the  narrative  full  justice,  I  give  it  in 
Mr.  Lindsay's  own  words: 

"  Mr.  T.  C.  Cowper,  of  Aberdeen,  himself  a  mem- 
ber of  a  well-known  ship-building  firm  in  Aberdeen, 
who  had  spent  some  time  in  China  at  the  period 
to  which  I  refer,  and  to  whom  I  am  much  indebted 
for  the  information  connected  with  our  struggles 
to  maintain  our  position  in  that  trade,  gives  the 
following  graphic  description  of  his  voyage  home 
in  the  Ganges^  Captain  Deas,  belonging  to  Leith, 
one  of  the  vessels  we  had  sent  forth  after  the  repeal 
of  our  Navigation  Laws,  to  compete  with  the  Ameri- 
cans in  that  trade :  *  We  loaded,'  he  says,  ^  new  teas 
at  Wampoa,  and  sailed  on  the  first  of  September, 
1851.  Two  of  the  fastest  American  clippers,  the 
Flying  Cloud  and  Bald  Eagle,  sailed  two  or  three 
daj^s  after  us.  A  great  deal  of  excitement  existed 
in  China  about  the  race,  the  American  ships  being 
the  favorites.  The  southwest  monsoon  being  strong, 
the  Ganges  made  a  rather  long  passage  to  Anjer, 
but  when  we  arrived  there  we  found  that  neither 
of  our  rivals  had  been  reported  as  having  passed. 
We  arrived  in  the  English  Channel  on  the  evening 
of  the  16th  of  December.  On  the  following  morn- 
ing at  daylight  we  were  off  Portland,  well  inshore 


Competition  in  the  China  Trade      201 

and  under  short  sail,  light  winds  from  the  north- 
east, and  weather  rather  thick.  About  8  a.m.  the 
wind  freshened  and  the  haze  cleared  away,  which 
showed  two  large  and  lofty  ships  two  or  three 
miles  to  windward  of  us.  They  proved  to  be  our 
American  friends,  having  their  Stars  and  Stripes 
flying  for  a  pilot.  Captain  Deas  at  once  gave 
orders  to  hoist  his  signals  for  a  pilot  also,  and 
as,  by  this  time,  several  cutters  were  standing  out 
from  Weymouth,  the  Ganges^  being  farthest  inshore 
got  her  pilot  first  on  board.  I  said  that  I  would 
land  in  the  pilot-boat  and  go  to  London  by  rail, 
and  would  report  the  ship  that  night  or  next  morn- 
ing at  Austin  Friars.  (She  was  consigned  to  my 
firm.)  The  breeze  had  considerably  freshened  be- 
fore I  got  on  board  the  pilot  cutter,  when  the  Ganges 
filled  away  on  the  port  tack,  and  Captain  Deas, 
contrary  to  his  wont,  for  he  was  a  very  cautious 
man,  crowded  on  all  small  sails.  The  Americans 
lost  no  time  and  were  after  him,  and  I  had  three 
hours'  view  of  as  fine  an  ocean  race  as  I  can  wish 
to  see;  the  wind  being  dead  ahead,  the  ships  were 
making  short  tacks.  The  Ganges  showed  herself  to 
be  the  most  weatherly  of  the  three;  and  the  gain 
on  every  tack  inshore  was  obvious,  neither  did  she 
seem  to  carry  way  behind  in  fore  reaching.  She 
arrived  off  Dungeness  six  hours  before  the  other 
two,  and  was  in  the  London  docks  twenty-four 
hours  before  the  first,  and  thirty-six  hours  before 
the  last  of  her  opponents.'  " 

It  is   always  unpleasant  to  spoil  a  really  good 
story,   but  in   this   instance   I    feel   constrained   to 


202  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

point  out  that  the  Flying  Cloud  arrived  at  San 
Francisco  on  August  31,  1851,  after  her  famous 
passage  of  89  da^'s  from  Kew  York;  it  is  therefore 
difficult  to  understand  how  she  could  have  sailed 
from  Wampoa  on  the  Canton  River  on  or  about 
September  1st  of  that  year,  as  stated  by  Mr.  Cow- 
per;  while  the  Bald  Eagle  was  not  launched  until 
1852. 

On  January  3,  1852,  the  Illustrated  London  JVews, 
which  then,  as  now,  had  many  readers  in  the  United 
States,  published  a  portrait  of  the  Chrysolite  accom- 
panying an  article  in  which  it  was  stated  that  both 
the  Chrysolite  and  the  Stornoway  had  beaten  the 
Oriental  and  the  Surprise,  and  that  the  Chrys- 
olite had  completely  beaten  the  Memnon  during  a 
race  in  the  Gaspar  Straits.  This  article  excited  a 
good  deal  of  interest  in  the  United  States,  and  it 
caused  the  formation  by  a  number  of  high-spirited 
young  merchants  and  ship-owners  at  Boston  of  a 
society  called  the  American  Navigation  Club,  which 
consisted  of  Daniel  C.  Bacon,  President;  Thomas 
H.  Perkins,  John  P.  Cushing,  William  H.  Bordman, 
John  M.  Forbes,  Warren  Delano,  and  Edward  King. 
In  due  time  they  issued  the  following  challenge, 
which  was  published  in  all  the  leading  shipping 
papers  of  Great  Britain  in  September,  1852,  and 
was  copied  into  BelVs  Life,  at  that  period  the  great 
sporting  publication  of  England: 

"  The  American  Navigation  Club  challenges  the 
ship-builders  of  Great  Britain  to  a  ship-race,  with 
cargo  on  board,  from  a  port  in  England  to  a  port 
in  China  and  back.     One  ship  to  be  entered  by  each 


Competition  in  the  China  Trade      203 

party,  and  to  be  named  within  a  week  of  the  start. 
These  ships  to  be  modelled,  commanded,  and  officered 
entirely  by  citizens  of  the  United  States  and  Great 
Britain,  respectively.  To  be  entitled  to  rank  A  1 
either  at  the  American  offices  or  at  Lloyd's.  The 
stakes  to  be  £10,000  a  side,  satisfactorily  secured 
by  both  parties,  to  be  paid  without  regard  to  acci- 
dents, or  to  any  exceptions,  the  whole  amount  for- 
feited b}^  either  party  not  appearing.  Judges  to 
be  mutually  chosen.  Reasonable  lime  to  be  given 
after  notice  of  acceptance  to  build  the  ships  if 
required,  and  also  for  discharging  and  loading 
cargo  in  China.  The  challenged  party  may  name 
the  size  of  the  ships,  not  under  800  nor  over  1200 
American  registered  tons;  the  weight  and  measure- 
ment which  shall  be  carried  each  way;  the  allow- 
ance for  short  weight  or  over-size.  Reference  may 
be  made  to  Messrs.  Baring  Bros.  &  Co.  for 
further  particulars. 

"  Daniel  C.  Bacon,  President.^' 

A  few  weeks  later,  on  October  10,  1852,  the  fol- 
lowing comment  appeared  in  BelVs  Life: 

"  It  will  be  remembered  early  in  the  past  month 
there  was  wafted  across  the  broad  Atlantic,  from 
the  American  Navigation  Club,  a  challenge  to  the 
ship-builders  of  Great  Britain,  which  created  no 
little  interest,  and  which  after  the  defeat,  then  just 
accomplished,  of  the  magic  yacht  America  by  one 
of  our  own  little  island  craft,  gave  rise  to  no 
inconsiderable  speculation  as  to  what  might  be  the 
result  of  an  acceptance  of  Brother  Jonathan's  pro- 


204  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

posal.  .  .  .  The  Club  by  the  last  clause  of  their 
terms  held  themselves  at  liberty  to  withdraw  the 
challenge  should  it  not  be  accepted  within  thirty 
days.  The  limit  of  the  time  is  now  expiring,  and 
it  is  with  no  little  disappointment  that  a  letter  re- 
ceived from  the  head  of  the  eminent  banking  house 
of  Baring  &  Co.,  was  received  in  Boston  a  short 
time  since,  when  it  was  found  that  he  had  nothing 
like  an  acceptance  of  the  challenge  to  communicate 
to  the  American  Club,  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  he 
had  to  report  no  inquiry  as  to  the  proposition.  As 
a  sort  of  enticement,  however,  to  our  ship-builders, 
the  President  of  the  American  Navigation  Club, 
Mr.  D.  C.  Bacon,  is  authorized,  should  the  present 
challenge  not  be  accepted  within  thirty  days,  to 
allow  the  British  vessels  a  start  of  fourteen  days 
before  the  departure  of  the  American  craft.  And 
also  to  allow  us  a  crew  picked  from  seamen  experi- 
enced in  voyaging  between  English  and  Chinese 
ports,  while  their  own  crew  is  to  be  composed  of 
American  seamen  and  officers  whose  experience  is 
limited  in  sailing  between  China  and  English  ports. 
The  Americans,  under  the  new  conditions,  are  will- 
ing to  augment  the  stake  to  £20,000,  or  any  higher 
sum  than  the  £10,000  of  the  present  conditions  most 
agreeable  to  us,  but  the  last  amount  to  be  the 
minimum.  The  Americans  want  a  match,  and  it 
reflects  somewhat  upon  our  chivalry  not  to  accom- 
modate them." 

The  London  Daily  News  also  published  a  leader 
in  which  it  urged  the  importance  to  Great 
Britain  of  making  good  her  claim  to  maritime  su- 


Competition  in  the  China  Trade      205 

premacy  by  accepting  the  challenge  and  winning 
the  race;  but  in  spite  of  all  that  was  said  the 
challenge  was  not  accepted.  Had  it  been,  Captain 
Dumaresq  would  have  commanded  the  American 
ship,  and  Lieutenant  Maury  was  to  have  prepared 
special  wind  and  current  charts  for  his  assistance. 
As  nearly  all  the  American  clippers  had  been  con- 
structed for  the  California  tradej  it  is  probable 
that  for  an  important  race  of  this  nature,  two  shipa 
would  have  been  built  especially  for  the  China  trade, 
and  very  likely  by  Donald  McKay  and  Samuel  Hall, 
as  the  Flying  Cloud,  Flying  Fish,  Stag-Hound, 
Game-Coek,  and  Surprise  had  already  placed  these 
two  in  the  front  rank  of  clipper  ship-builders.  No 
reason  was  ever  given  for  the  non-acceptance  of  the 
challenge,  though  the  inference  seems  obvious. 

It  would,  however,  be  a  mistake  to  suppose  that 
the  Stornoway  and  Chrysolite  were  not  fast  vessels; 
for  they  were  jjrobably  the  two  fastest  ships  sailing 
under  the  British  flag  at  that  time,  and  were  ably 
commanded,  and  on  a  China  voyage,  which  is  very 
different  sailing  from  a  San  Francisco  or  Australian 
passage,  would  have  given  any  ship  afloat  a  run 
for  her  owner's  money.  The  fitful  uncertainty  of 
the  monsoons  in  the  China  seas,  with  an  occasional 
typhoon  thrown  in,  has  always  rendered  the  voyages 
to  and  from  China  rather  unsatisfactory  tests  of 
speed,  and  in  this  respect  not  to  be  compared  with 
those  to  Australia  or  to  San  Francisco. 

The  Stornoicay  and  Chrysolite  were  soon  followed 
by  other  British  clipper  ships,  among  them  the 
Atergeldie,  of  GOO  tons  register,  built  by  Walter 
Hood  &  Co.,  of  Aberdeen,  in  1851.     This  vessel  was 


2o6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

named  for  an  estate  that  adjoins  Balmoral,  at  that 
time  under  a  forty  years'  lease  to  Prince  Albert, 
and  carried  a  figurehead  of  His  Koyal  Highness  in 
full  Highland  costume. 

In  1852,  Richard  Green,  of  London,  built  the 
Challenger,  of  699  tons.  This  ship,  owned  by  W. 
S.  Lindsay,  of  London,  was  constructed  with  the 
avowed  purpose  of  beating  the  Challenge  of  New 
York.  A  comparison  of  the  dimensions  of  this 
ship  and  those  of  the  Sword-Fish,  1036  tons,  is 
interesting. 

Length  Breadth       Depth 

Challenger      174  ft.  32  ft.  20  ft. 

Sword-Fish     169  ft.  6  in.     36  ft.  6  in.     20  ft. 

The  Challenger  was  commanded  by  Captain  Kil- 
lick,  who  made  eight  China  voyages  in  her,  the  best 
passage  home  being  105  days.  Although  she  was 
never  directly  matched  with  her  American  rival, 
they  both  took  part  in  an  informal  race  from  China 
in  1852,  while  the  challenge  of  the  Navigation  Club 
was  pending.  The  passages  of  the  seven  vessels, 
four  American  and  three  British,  were  as  follows: 

Witch  of  the  Wave Canton  to  Deal 90  days. 

Challenge Canton  to  Deal 105 

Surprise Canton  to  Deal 106 

Stornoway Canton  to  Deal 109 

Chrysolite Canton  to  Liverpool. ..  106 

Nightingale Shanghai  to  Deal 110 

Challenger Shanghai  to  Deal 113 

It  is  only  fair  to  state  that  the  Witch  of  the 
Wave,  commanded  by  Captain  Millett,  sailed  from 


Competition  in  the  China  Trade       207 

Canton,  January  5th,  in  the  height  of  the  northeast 
monsoon,  and  made  the  run,  remarkable  even  at 
that  season  of  the  year,  of  7  days  12  hours  from 
Canton  to  Java  Head,  while  the  three  British  clip- 
pers, Stornoway,  Chrysolite^  and  Challenger,  sailed 
later  with  a  moderate  monsoon,  and  the  Challenge^ 
Surprise,  and  Nightingale  later  still,  when  the  mon- 
soon was  less  favorable.  The  rate  of  freight  this 
year  was  £8  per  ton,  the  highest  that  was  ever  paid. 

This  race,  if  so  it  can  be  called,  resulted  in  ^'  win, 
tie,  or  wrangle  "  as  it  was  claimed,  for  one  reason 
or  another,  by  every  vessel  engaged  in  it,  and  ended 
by  Sampson  &  Tappan,  of  Boston,  offering  to  match 
the  Nightingale  for  £10,000  against  any  ship,  Brit- 
ish or  American,  for  a  race  to  China  and  back. 
The  rivalry  of  the  American  clipper  ships  among 
themselves  was  as  keen  as  with  those  of  Great 
Britain,  and  this  challenge  was  intended  for  the 
Navigation  Club,  of  Boston,  of  which  Sampson  & 
Tappan  were  not  members,  and  for  New  York  as 
well,  quite  as  much  as  for  the  British  clippers;  but 
it  found  no  response  from  either  side  of  the  Atlantic. 

The  Nightingale  was  owned  by  Sampson  &  Tappan 
for  a  number  of  years,  during  which  she  made  some 
exceedingly  fast  passages,  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Samuel  Mather.  Among  them  were  the 
passage  from  Portsmouth,  England,  to  Shanghai, 
against  the  northeast  monsoon,  in  106  days  in  1853 ; 
and  during  the  year  1855  a  passage  from  Shanghai 
to  London  in  91  days,  and  from  Batavia  Roads  to 
London  in  70  days,  an  average  of  197  miles  per 
day,  her  best  day's  run  being  336  miles. 

The  Surprise  proved  one  of  the  most  successful 


2o8  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

American  clippers  in  the  China  trade.  After  her 
first  voyage  she  was  for  a  number  of  years  com- 
manded by  the  captains  Charles  Ranlett,  father  and 
son,  and  in  their  hands  made  many  fine  passages 
— she  made  eleven  consecutive  passages  from  China 
to  New  York  in  89  days  or  less,  six  from  Hong-kong, 
and  five  from  Shanghai,  the  best  being  81  days  from 
Shanghai,  in  1857.  x\mong  other  fast  passages  from 
Canton  to  New  York  may  be  mentioned  those  of 
the  Stag-Hound  85,  91,  and  92  days;  Flying  Cloud, 
94  and  96  days;  N.  B.  Palmer,  84  days;  Comet, 
Panama,  and  Hurricane,  each  99  days;  Sword-Fish, 
80  days ;  Sea  Serpent,  88  days ;  Yancouver,  96  days ; 
Mandarin,  89  days;  but  I  am  unable  to  find  that 
Captain  Waterman's  passage  of  77  days  in  the  Sea 
Witch  in  1848,  and  78  days  in  the  Natchez  in  1845, 
from  Canton  to  New  York,  have  ever  been  beaten. 
In  1854  the  Comet  made  a  record  passage  of  84 
days  from  Liverpool  to  Hongkong,  an  average  of 
212  miles  per  day,  and  in  the  same  year  the  Typhoon 
made  the  run  from  the  Lizard  to  Calcutta  in  80 
days. 

In  Great  Britain  the  Cairngorm,  of  1250  tons 
register,  was  built  in  1853  by  Alexander  Hall  & 
Co.,  and  owned  by  Jardine,  Matheson  Co.  Between 
1853  and  1856  came  the  Crest  of  the  Wave,  Norma, 
Flying  Dragon,  Formosa,  and  Spirit  of  the  Age^ 
built  by  John  Pile  of  Sunderland,  and  the  Lord  of 
the  Isles  (iron)  by  John  Scott  &  Co.,  of  Greenock. 
The  ship  last  named  registered  770  tons,  measured: 
length  190  feet  9  inches,  breadth  27  feet  8  inches, 
depth  18  feet  5  inches,  and  was  an  extremely  sharp 
and  handsome,  though  a  very  wet  ship.     It  used  to 


Competition  in  the  China  Trade       209 

be  said  that  Captain  Maxton,  her  commander,  drove 
her  into  one  side  of  a  sea  and  out  the  other;  at 
all  events,  she  was  generally  known  among  sailor- 
men  as  the  ''  Diving  Bell." 

The  British  clippers  of  this  type,  which  was  ex- 
tremely sharp  and  narrow,  very  nearly  held  their 
own  against  the  American  ships,  and  it  is  much  to 
be  regretted  that  there  never  was  a  fair  and  square 
race  between  them;  for  no  British  and  American 
clipper  ships  ever  sailed  from  China  near  enough 
together  to  afford  a  satisfactory  test  of  speed. 

The  Lord  of  the  Isles  made  the  remarkable  run 
from  Shanghai  to  London  in  1855  during  the  north- 
east monsoon  of  87  days.  In  185G  she  sailed  against 
the  American  clipper  barque  Maury ^  commanded  by 
Captain  Fletcher,  from  Foo-chow  to  London,  both 
carrying  new  teas.  In  this  year  a  premium  of  £1 
per  ton  on  the  freight  was  offered  for  the  first 
ship  home  during  the  season.  The  reward  was 
offered  without  regard  to  the  length  of  the  passage, 
and  was  intended  to  encourage  quick  despatch  in 
loading  as  well  as  fast  sailing.  The  Lord  of  the 
Isles  finished  loading  and  sailed  four  days  ahead 
of  the  Maury.  Both  vessels  arrived  in  the  Downs 
on  the  same  morning  and  passed  Gravesend  within 
ten  minutes  of  each  other,  the  Maury  leading,  but 
Captain  Maxton,  having  the  smartest  tug,  succeeded 
in  getting  his  ship  first  into  dock,  and  so  won  the 
prize.  The  Maury  was  an  exceedingly  pretty  barque 
of  about  600  tons,  built  by  Roosevelt  &  Joyce,  and 
owned  by  A.  A.  Low  &  Brother.  She  was  a  very 
similar  vessel  to  the  barques  Fairy,  Penguin,  and 
Benefactor,  by  the  same  builders,  all  engaged  in  the 
14 


2IO  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

China  trade.  The  Lord  of  the  Isles  was  the  only 
tea-clipper  built  of  iron  at  that  time.  It  was  found 
that  she  sweated  her  tea  cargoes,  though  otherwise 
they  were  delivered  in  excellent  condition,  and  she 
was  certainly  a  very  fast  vessel. 

At  this  period  (1853-1856)  British  iron  ships, 
both  sail  and  steam,  were  coming  into  favor  for 
other  trades,  but  their  introduction  had  been  slow. 
It  is  not  easy  at  the  present  time  to  realize  the 
difficulties  attending  the  building  of  the  first  iron 
vessels.  The  rolling  of  iron  plates  to  a  uniform 
thickness  was  a  matter  requiring  great  care  and 
skill,  and  a  number  of  years  elapsed  before  plates 
exceeded  or  even  reached  ten  feet  in  length;  then 
bending  the  frames  and  riveting  the  plates  were 
difficult  processes,  only  learned  through  much  trial 
and  experiment.  In  the  early  days,  when  an  iron 
ship  was  completed,  her  owner's  troubles  had  only 
begun.  Finding  a  composition  that  would  prevent 
fouling  and  at  the  same  time  not  destroy  the  plates; 
the  adjustment  of  compasses,  and  devising  effective 
means  of  ventilation,  were  all  matters  that  required 
years  of  investigation  and  labor,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  prejudice  against  iron  vessels,  which  time  and 
experience  alone  could  overcome.  Yet  it  was  the 
skilful  use  of  this  stubborn  metal  in  the  construc- 
tion of  ships,  together  with  wise  legislation,  that 
enabled  Great  Britain  to  regain  her  empire  upon 
the  sea. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

CALIFORNIA     CLIPPERS    OF     1852 — THE     "  SOVEREIGN     OF 

THE    SEAS  '' 

AS  one  by  one  the  California  clippers  came  home 
from  Asiatic  ports  or  round  Cape  Horn  from 
San  Francisco  in  1852,  it  was  found  that  almost  all 
of  them  needed  a  pretty  thorough  overhauling  aloft. 
The  masts,  spars,  and  rigging  of  the  Flying  Cloud 
were  fine  examples  of  the  skill  of  her  sailors  in 
clapping  on  fishings,  lashings,  stoppers,  and  seiz- 
ings, w^hile  her  topmast  fids,  crushed  and  broken, 
were  taken  up  to  the  Astor  House  and  exhibited 
to  the  admiration  of  the  town.  Her  owners,  Grin- 
nell,  Minturn  &  Co.,  had  her  log  from  New  York 
to  San  Francisco  printed  in  gold  letters  on  white 
silk  for  distribution  among  their  friends,  and  Cap- 
tain Creesy  fled  to  his  home  in  Marblehead  in  order 
to  escape  notoriety. 

The  Sea  Berpcnt,  Eclipse,  and  Stag-Hound  were 
in  much  the  same  condition  aloft  as  the  Flying 
Cloudy  while  the  Witchcraft,  on  the  voyage  from 
San  Francisco  to  Hongkong  had  lost  her  main 
and  mizzen  masts  with  all  sails  and  rigging  at- 
tached, during  a  severe  typhoon  in  the  China  Sea. 
The  Tornado,  commanded  by  Captain  O.  R.  Mum- 
ford,  bound  from  San  Francisco  to  New  York,  had 

211 


212  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

lost  her  bowsprit  with  the  foremast  and  sprung  her 
mainmast,  when  to  the  westward  of  Cape  Horn. 
It  required  fourteen  days  to  complete  the  jury  rig 
at  sea,  after  which  she  sailed  to  New  York,  a 
distance  of  8000  miles,  in  51  days.  In  acknowledg- 
ment of  Captain  Mumford's  services  on  this  occa- 
sion, the  New  York,  Sun,  Astor,  and  Mercantile 
Insurance  Companies  presented  him  with  a  costly 
solid  silver  service,  which  was  made  by  Ball,  Black 
&  Co.,  and  exhibited  in  the  window  of  their  store  on 
the  corner  of  Murray  Street  and  Broadway. 

All  of  these  ships  were  rerigged  in  New  York 
with  stouter  spars  and  rigging  than  they  originally 
carried,  and  much  valuable  experience  was  gained 
by  sparmakers  and  riggers  as  to  the  requirements 
aloft  of  these  large,  powerful  clippers,  while  their 
captains  had  at  the  same  time  become  better  ac- 
quainted with  their  peculiarities.  The  great  diffi- 
culty was  to  get  a  large  ship,  say  from  IGOO  to 
2000  tons,  that  would  sail  fast  in  moderate  winds. 
If  she  had  canvas  enough  to  drive  her  along  in  a 
light  breeze,  the  chances  were  that  in  a  gale  some- 
thing was  bound  to  carry  away  aloft.  The  utmost 
skill  and  judgment  were  required  to  rig  and  to 
handle  these  heavily  masted  ships  with  wooden 
spars  and  hemp  rigging. 

The  great  race  to  San  Francisco  in  1852  was 
between  the  S word-Fish  of  New  York  and  the  Fly- 
ing Fish  of  Boston,  both  extreme  clippers  and  built 
respectively  by  William  H.  Webb  and  Donald 
McKay.  The  Flying  Fish  sailed  from  Boston  No- 
vember 11,  1851,  and  on  the  same  day  the  Sword- 
Fish  passed  Sandy  Hook.    Large  sums  were  wagered 


California  Clippers  of  1852  213 

upon  the  result.  Captain  Nickels  of  the  Flying 
Fish  and  Captain  Babcock  of  the  Sword-Fish  were 
both  young  and  skilful  commanders,  and  it  was 
believed  by  their  friends  that  each  would  send  his 
ship  along  at  her  utmost  speed.  The  Flying  Fish 
made  an  excellent  run  of  11)  days  to  the  equator, 
leading  the  Sword-Fish  by  four  days.  From  the 
equator  to  50°  S.,  the  Flying  Fish  was  26  and  the 
Sivord-Fish  22  days,  so  that  they  passed  that  parallel 
on  the  same  day.  They  raced  round  Cape  Horn, 
part  of  the  time  side  by  side,  the  Flying  Fish  making 
the  run  from  50°  S.  in  the  Atlantic  to  50°  S.  in  the 
Pacific  in  7  and  the  Sword-Fish  in  8  days.  From 
this  point  the  Sword-Fish  came  up  and  steadily 
drew  away.  She  made  the  run  to  the  equator  in  19 
days,  leading  the  Flying  Fish  by  3  days,  and  from 
the  equator  to  San  Francisco  in  20  days,  gaining 
on  this  stretch  another  3  days,  and  arrived  at  San 
Francisco  February  10,  1852,  after  a  splendid  pas- 
sage of  90  days  16  hours  from  New  York.  The 
Flying  Fish  arrived  on  the  17th,  or  98  days  from 
Boston.  The  Sword-Fish  was  regarded  by  many  as 
the  fastest  and  handsomest  ship  built  by  William 
H.  Webb;  and  her  passage  of  90  days,  the  second 
best  ever  made  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco, 
and  within  one  day  of  the  record,  together  with 
many  other  fast  passages,  among  them  her  record 
run  of  31  days  from  Shanghai  to  San  Francisco  in 
1855,  an  average  of  240  miles  a  day,  certainly  places 
her  at  or  very  near  the  head  of  the  list  of  clippers 
launched  from  this  famous  yard. 

Some  of  the  other  notable  passages  of  this  year 
were  made  by  the  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  and  Cornet, 


214  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

each  102  days ;  ^ea  Witch  108  days  from  New  York ; 
Staffordshire  101  days,  and  John  Bertram  and 
Shooting  Star  each  105  days  from  Boston. 

The  Flying  Cloud,  on  this,  her  second  voyage 
from  New  York,  arrived  at  San  Francisco  Sep- 
tember 6,  1852,  113  days  from  New  York.  She  had, 
for  her,  a  long  run  of  30  days  to  the  equator;  and 
when  she  was  off  the  coast  of  Brazil,  running  before 
a  light  northerly  wind  under  skysails  and  royal 
studdingsails,  with  the  weather  clew  of  her  main- 
sail hauled  up:  as  Captain  Creesy  was  taking  his 
noon  observation,  a  large  clipper  ship  was  reported 
about  six  miles  ahead,  under  the  same  canvas  but 
almost  becalmed.  She  was  soon  recognized  by  Cap- 
tain Creesy  and  his  officers  as  the  'N.  B.  Palmer. 
The  Flying  Cloud  carried  the  breeze  until  about  two 
o'clock,  when  she  also  ran  into  the  calm,  and  sig- 
nals were  exchanged.  Captain  Low,  of  the  N.  B. 
Palmer,  reported  with  pardonable  pride,  that  he  had 
sailed  from  New  York  eight  days  after  the  Flying 
Cloud,  and  had  found  good  winds  to  the  equator; 
indeed,  a  few  days  after  sailing  he  had  made  396 
miles  in  twenty -four  hours. 

As  may  be  imagined,  Captain  Creesy  was  some- 
what chagrined,  but  at  all  events,  here  at  last  were 
the  ships  about  whose  speed  there  had  been  so 
much  discussion,  side  by  side  on  blue  water,  and 
soon  there  would  be  a  chance  to  find  out  which  was 
the  faster  of  the  two.  As  there  was  every  indica- 
tion of  a  southerly  breeze,  both  ships  took  in  their 
studdingsails,  rigged  in  the  booms,  and  got  ready 
for  the  new  wind,  with  a  pull  on  sheets  and  hal- 
liards fore  and  aft.     The  Flying  Cloud  had  a  fine 


California  Clippers  of  1852  215 

crew,  and  in  after  years  Captain  Creesy  in  de- 
scribing this  race  said  that,  "  They  worked  like 
one  man,  and  that  man  a  hero." 

At  about  four  o'clock  there  was  a  faint  southerly 
air  with  a  few  cat's-paws,  and  soon  the  breeze  came 
up  from  the  south  in  a  dark-blue  line  across  the 
horizon.  Both  ships  felt  it  at  the  same  moment, 
and  braced  their  yards  on  the  starboard  tack  sharp 
by  the  wind,  which  soon  freshened  to  a  fine  whole- 
sail  breeze.  The  Flying  Cloud  now  began  to  draw 
away.  At  daylight  the  next  morning,  the  N.  B. 
Palmer  was  hull  down  to  leeward,  and  by  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  was  no  longer  in  sight. 
Both  ships  had  strong  westerly  gales  off  Cape  Horn, 
and  the  Flying  Cloud  led  her  rival  into  San 
Francisco  by  twenty-three  days. 

It  is  only  fair  to  say,  however,  that  the  N,  B. 
Palmer  lost  five  days  through  putting  into  Val- 
paraiso to  land  two  of  her  crew,  and  as  it  turned 
out,  to  ship  seventeen  men  to  replace  deserters. 
One  of  the  two  men  landed  had  shot  and  wounded 
the  mate,  and  the  other,  known  as  ''  Doublin  Jack," 
had  knocked  the  second  mate  down  with  a  hand- 
spike. Captain  Low  put  both  these  men  in  irons, 
triced  them  up  in  the  mizzen  rigging,  and  gave 
them  each  four  dozen  lashes  of  ratline  stuff,  which 
they  had  well  earned.  Captain  R.  B.  Forbes,  one 
of  the  most  humane  and  kind-hearted  of  men,  de- 
clared in  an  address  before  the  Boston  Marine 
Society  in  1854,  that  he  regarded  "the  abolition 
of  the  power  of  flogging  refractory  seamen  as  hav- 
ing been  injudicious  " ;  and  I  think  that  most  men 
who  had  experience  in  handling  the  crews  of  mer- 


21 6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

chant  ships  on  the  high  seas  in  those  days  will  be 
inclined  to  agree  with  him. 

The  demand  for  new  clipper  ships  had  by  no 
means  abated  in  1852,  and  thirty-three  California 
clippers  were  launched  in  this  year.  Donald  McKay 
built  the  Sovereign  of  the  Seas,  Bald  Eagle,  and 
Westward  Ho;  William  H.  Webb,  the  Flying  Dutch- 
man; Samuel  Hall,  the  Polynesia,  John  Gilpin,  Fly- 
ing Childers,  and  Wizard;  Jacob  A.  Westervelt,  the 
Golden  City,  Golden  State,  and  Contest;  Jacob  Bell, 
the  Messenger  and  Jacob  Bell;  Paul  Curtis,  the 
Golden  West,  Queen  of  the  Seas,  Cleopatra,  and 
Radiant;  J.  O.  Curtis,  the  Phantom  and  Whirlivind; 
Jabez  Williams,  the  Simoon;  R.  E.  Jackson,  the 
Winged  Racer;  Fernald  &  Pettigrew,  the  Red 
Rover, 

Undismayed  by  difficulties  as  to  spars  and  rig- 
ging that  beset  the  minds  of  other  ship-builders, 
Donald  McKay  resolved  in  this  year  to  build  a 
still  larger  clipper  than  had  jet  appeared.  This 
ship  was  the  Sovereign  of  ihe  Seas,  of  2421  tons 
register,  and  when  she  was  launched  in  June,  1852, 
the  bells  that  had  welcomed  the  New  World  and 
Stag-Hound  as  the  largest  merchant  ships  afloat, 
again  rang  out  a  joyous  greeting  to  this  noble 
clipper,  as  she  glided  smoothly  and  swiftly  into  the 
blue  waters  of  Boston  harbor. 

The  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  measured:  length  258 
feet,  breadth  44  feet,  depth  23  feet  6  inches,  with 
20  inches  dead-rise  at  half  floor.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  that  each  one  of  Mr.  McKay's  clippers  had 
less  dead-rise  than  her  predecessor.  The  Stag- 
Hound  had  40  inches  dead-rise  at  half  floor  with 


California  Clippers  of  1852  217 

slightly  convex  water-lines;  the  Flying  Cloud  and 
Staffordshire  30  inches  with  concave  water-lines  and 
shorter  but  sharper  ends.  The  Sovereign  of  the 
Seas  had  the  longest  and  sharpest  ends  of  any  ves- 
sel then  built,  and  combined  the  grace  and  beauty 
of  the  smaller  ships  with  immense  strength  and 
power  to  carry  sail. 

She  had  a  crew  of  105  men  and  boys,  consisting 
of  4  mates,  2  boatswains,  2  carpenters,  2  sail- 
makers,  3  stewards,  2  cooks,  80  able  seamen,  and 
10  boys  before  the  mast.  She  was  commanded  by 
Captain  Lauchlan  McKay,  who  was  born  at  Shel- 
burne.  Nova  Scotia,  in  1811,  being  one  year  younger 
than  his  brother  Donald.  Like  him,  he  went  to 
New  York,  served  an  apprenticeship  there  with 
Isaac  Webb,  and  after  becoming  a  master  ship- 
wright, was  appointed  carpenter  of  the  U.  S.  frigate 
Constellation,  in  which  he  served  four  years.  Ad- 
miral Farragut  was  a  young  lieutenant  on  board 
this  ship  at  the  same  time.  In  1839  Captain  McKay 
published  a  work  on  naval  architecture,  and  soon 
after,  in  company  with  his  brother  Hugh,  opened 
a  shipyard  at  Boston.  Here  they  did  repairing, 
and  in  1846  built  the  bark  Odd  Fellow,  in  which 
Lauchlan  sailed  as  captain.  In  1848  he  commanded 
the  ship  Jenny  Lind,  and  made  some  excellent  pas- 
sages in  her.  When  he  took  command  of  the 
Sovereign  of  the  Seas,  Captain  McKay  was  in  his 
forty-first  year,  and  of  gigantic  build  and  strength. 

The  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  sailed  from  New  York 
for  San  Francisco,  August  4,  1852,  a  poor  season  of 
the  year  for  a  rapid  run  to  the  equator,  but  she 
crossed  25  days  out  from  Sandy  Hook,  making  a 


2i8  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

run  which  had  never  been  bettered  in  the  month 
of  August,  and  only  twice  equalled — once  by  the 
Raven  from  Boston  in  1851  and  once  by  the  Hurri- 
cane from  New  York  in  1853.  She  was  23  days 
from  the  equator  to  50°  S.,  and  9  days  from  50° 
S.  in  the  Atlantic  to  the  same  parallel  in  the  Pacific. 
After  rounding  Cape  Horn,  she  carried  away  her 
fore-  and  maintopmasts  and  foreyard,  and  it  re- 
quired fourteen  days  to  rerig  her,  during  which 
time  she  was  kept  on  her  course,  and  made  the  run 
from  50°  S.  to  the  equator  in  the  remarkable  time, 
considering  her  disabled  condition,  of  29  days.  She 
went  thence  to  San  Francisco  in  17  days,  which  is 
the  record  for  the  month  of  November,  and  her 
total  run  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  was 
103  days. 

Had  the  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  not  been  dis- 
masted, it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  she  would 
have  equalled  the  fastest  run  from  50°  S.  to  the 
equator  in  the  month  of  October,  which  is  19  days, 
made  by  the  Ocean  Telegraph  in  1855.  This  would 
have  reduced  her  passage  to  93  days;  still,  as  it 
stands,  her  passage  of  103  days  has  never  been 
equalled  by  a  vessel  sailing  from  New  Y^ork  for 
San  Francisco  in  the  month  of  August.  Captain 
McKay  received  much  credit  for  rerigging  his  ship 
at  sea  and  not  putting  into  Valparaiso,  and  was 
presented  with  a  very  beautiful  silver  dinner  service 
by  the  New  York  Board  of  Marine  Underwriters. 

This  was  the  only  passage  made  by  the  Sovereign 
of  the  Seas  between  New  York  and  San  Francisco. 
She  carried  on  this  voyage  2950  tons  of  cargo,  and 
her  freight  amounted  to  |81,000;  a  portion  of  the 


The  **  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  "      219 

cargo,  consisting  of  flour,  sold  in  San  Francisco 
at  |44  per  barrel. 

She  cleared  from  San  Francisco  in  ballast  for 
Honolulu,  and  there  loaded  a  cargo,  or  rather  sev- 
eral cargoes,  of  sperm  oil  which  had  been  landed 
by  American  whale-ships  in  the  Pacific,  and  sailed 
for  New  York,  February  13,  1853.  She  had  light 
and  variable  winds  to  the  equator,  her  day's  runs 
ranging  from  89  to  302  miles,  and  she  made  this 
stretch  from  Honolulu  in  8  days.  On  February 
27th,  she  was  off  the  Navigator  or  Samoan  Islands, 
and  one  cannot  help  thinking  of  the  delight  it  would 
have  given  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  if  he  could  have 
looked  upon  this  giant  clipper  flying  southward 
under  her  w^hite  cloud  of  canvas,  and  with  what 
magic  words  he  would  have  made  her  name 
immortal. 

On  ^March  4th,  the  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  sprung 
her  foretopmast,  and  although  it  was  fished  on  the 
(jth,  it  was  a  source  of  anxiety  for  the  remainder 
of  the  passage,  and  Captain  McKay,  mindful  of  his 
recent  experience  in  these  seas,  carried  sail  with 
a  considerable  caution.  Nothing  of  special  inter- 
est occurred  until  March  15th,  when  the  first  strong 
westerly  gales  were  feltj  and  a  series  of  remarkable 
day's  runs  was  begun.  Up  to  noon  on  March  IGth, 
she  had  sailed  from  her  position  at  noon  the  day 
before,  396  miles;  on  the  17th,  311  miles;  on  the 
18th,  411  miles,  and  on  the  19th,  360  miles,  a  total 
of  1478  miles  in  four  days.  During  these  four 
days,  she  made  34°  43'  of  longitude  eastward,  which 
with  the  difference  in  time  gives  an  average  of  151/2 
knots,  or  an  average  of  a  fraction  over  378  miles 


220  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

for  each  twenty-four  hours.  In  the  11  days  from 
March  10th  to  the  21st,  she  made  the  remarkable 
run  of  3562  miles,  and  as  she  made  during  this 
time  82°  24'  of  longitude,  her  average  allowing  for 
difference  in  time,  was  13%  knots,  or  330  miles 
each  twenty-four  hours. 

During  her  great  run  on  the  18th  of  411  miles, 
she  made  10°  30'  of  longitude,  which  reduced  her 
sea  day  to  23  hours  18  minutes,  and  shows  an  aver- 
age speed  of  17  2/3  knots,  or  424  miles  in  twenty- 
four  hours.  On  this  day  her  log  records :  "  Strong 
northwest  breezes  and  rough  sea."  It  seems  ex- 
tremely improbable  that  she  could  have  maintained 
uniform  speed  of  17  2/3  knots  throughout  the 
twenty-four  hours,  but  at  times  her  speed  probably 
slackened  to  15  or  16  knots.  If  this  supposition 
is  correct,  it  follows  that  her  speed  must  at  times 
have  exceeded  17  2/3  knots  in  order  to  account  for 
this  average.  In  the  absence  of  any  data  on  this 
point,  which  is  much  to  be  regretted,  it  seems  prob- 
able that  she  must  have  sailed  at  a  speed  of  not 
less  than  19  knots  during  a  portion  of  these  twenty- 
four  hours,  and  perhaps  20  knots.  After  rounding 
Cape  Horn  she  had  light  and  moderate  wnnds,  her 
best  day's  run  being  only  286  miles,  and  she  arrived 
off  Sandy  Hook  May  6,  1853,  after  a  passage  of 
82  days  from  Honolulu. 

She  sailed  again  from  New  York  for  Liverpool, 
June  18th,  passing  Sandy  Hook  at  6  :30  p.m._,  sighted 
Cape  Race  in  Newfoundland  at  6  a.m.  on  the  24th, 
was  off  Cape  Clear  in  Ireland  at  6  a.m.  on  June 
30th,  took  a  pilot  at  2  p.m.  July  2d,  and  anchored 
in  the  Mersey  at  10:30  p.m.  that  day,  having  made 


The  **  Sovereign  of  the  Seas"      221 

the  entire  run  from  dock  to  anchorage  in  13  days 
22  hours  and  50  minutes.  This  must  be  regarded 
as  a  most  remarkable  passage  for  the  season^  and 
has  never  been  equalled  by  a  sailing  vessel  during 
the  month  of  June.  Her  best  day's  run  was  on 
June  28th,  344  miles,  by  the  wind,  under  single- 
reefed  topsails,  and  on  the  30thj  340  miles  with 
skysails  and  royal  studdingsails  set.  The  Cunard 
S.S.  Canada  sailed  from  Boston  on  the  same  day 
that  the  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  sailed  from  New 
York,  and  a  comparison  of  their  logs  published  at 
the  time  shows  that  in  five  days,  June  25 -30th, 
the  ship  outsailed  the  steamer  by  325  miles,  and 
that  the  best  run  of  the  Canada  during  this  passage 
was  only  306  miles. 

On  this  voyage  her  builder,  Donald  McKay,  was 
a  passenger  on  board  the  Sovereign  of  the  Seas,  and 
he  passed  most  of  his  waking  moments  on  deck, 
watching  her  movement  through  the  water  and  ob- 
serving the  various  strains  on  her  spars  and  rig- 
ging. When  he  returned  home,  Enoch  Train  asked 
him  what  he  thought  of  the  ship,  and  Mr.  McKay 
replied,  "  Well,  she  appears  to  be  a  pretty  good 
ship,  but  1  think  I  can  build  one  to  beat  her"; 
and  eventually  he  did  so. 

Mrs.  Donald  McKay  sailed  with  her  husband  on 
this  voyage  and  took  a  keen  interest  in  everything 
that  went  on  aboard  ship.  Although  this  was  a 
summer  passage,  nevertheless,  there  was  enough 
rough  weather  to  bring  out  the  splendid  sea-going 
qualities  of  the  vessel,  and  to  Mrs.  McKay,  who,  it 
is  a  pleasure  to  record,  is  still  living,  the  vivid 
picture  of  this  thoroughbred  clipper  wrestling  with 


222  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

the  winds  and  waves  has  always  remained  one  of 
the  exciting  experiences  of  her  life. 

All  of  the  American  clippers  made  good  passages 
home  from  China  to  Atlantic  ports  in  1852,  though 
no  record  was  broken.  The  run  of  the  SJiooting 
Sta}%  83  days  from  Canton  to  Boston,  was  the  best 
of  the  year. 

It  was  during  the  passage  from  Canton  to  New 
York  in  this  year  that  Captain  Creesy  of  the  Flyhig 
Cloud  had  the  unusual  experience  of  perusing  his 
own  obituary  in  mid-ocean.  It  appears  that  after 
passing  Java  Head,  and  when  his  vessel  was  well 
across  the  Indian  Ocean,  she  fell  in  with  a  ship 
outward  bound,  and  in  exchange  for  chickens,  fruits, 
and  vegetables  from  Anjer,  received  newspapers 
from  New  York,  one  of  which  contained  the  follow- 
ing somewhat  startling  announcement: 

"  Captain  Creesy  of  the  ship  Flying  Cloud. — It 
will  be  seen  by  the  telegraph  news  in  another 
column  that  this  gallant  sailor  is  no  more.  Two 
days  after  sailing  from  San  Francisco,  bound  to 
China,  he  died,  and  the  ship  proceeded  in  charge 
of  the  mate;  he  was  a  native  of  Marblehead,  and 
about  forty-six  years  of  age.  For  many  years,  he 
commanded  the  ship  Oneida  in  the  China  trade,  and 
was  distinguished  for  the  rapidity  of  his  passages. 
In  the  Flying  Cloud,  he  made  the  shortest  passage 
on  record  to  San  Francisco,  and  eclipsed  the  finest 
and  most  costly  merchant  ship  in  the  world,^  and 
yet  this  crowning  triumph  of  his  life  was  attended 
with  many  disasters  to  his  spars  and  sails;  still, 
he  pressed  on,  disdaining  to  make  a  port  short  of 

1  The  Challenge* 


The  **  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  "      223 

his  destination.  In  every  scene  of  a  sailor's  life 
^  with  skill  superior  glowed  his  daring  mind ' — his 
dauntless  soul  '  rose  with  the  storm  and  all  its  dan- 
gers shared.'  But  now  he  rests  from  his  toils, 
regardless  of  his  triumphs.     Peace  to  his  manes." 

It  was  found  that  this  news  originated  in  New 
Orleans,  having  been  telegraphed  from  there  to  New 
York,  and  although  no  explanation  of  the  blunder 
was  ever  made,  it  at  all  events  relieved  Captain 
Creesy  of  an  annoying  lawsuit.  It  will  be  re- 
membered that  in  August,  1851,  on  the  passage  to 
San  Francisco,  his  first  officer  was  put  off  duty 
soon  after  rounding  Cape  Horn,  "  in  consequence 
of  his  arrogating  to  himself  the  privilege  of  cutting 
up  rigging."  This  was  a  more  serious  offence  than 
perhaps  appears  at  first  sight,  as  the  Flying  Cloud 
was  badly  crippled  aloft,  and  was  a  long  way  from 
the  nearest  ship  chandler's  store,  while  Captain 
Creesy  needed  every  fathom  of  rope  on  board  for 
preventers  and  lashings.  In  due  time,  the  mate 
turned  up  in  New  York  and  got  in  tow  of  a  philan- 
thropic legal  "  gent,"  who  paid  his  board  and  lodg- 
ing while  awaiting  the  arrival  of  the  Flying  Cloud 
in  order  to  prosecute  Captain  Creesy;  but  when 
they  learned  that  he  was  supposed  to  be  dead,  the 
mate  was  shipped  off  to  sea  again,  while  the  sea- 
lawyer  friend  lost  no  time  in  making  fast  to  his 
three  months'  advance. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

CALIFORNIA    CLIPPERS    OF    1853 

DURING  the  year  1853,  twenty  ships  arrived  at 
San  Francisco  from  Atlantic  ports,  chiefly 
New  York,  in  110  days  or  less,  showing  the  high 
standard  of  efficiency  that  had  been  reached.  The 
best  passages  of  the  year  were  made  by  the  Flying 
Fish,  92  days;  John  Gilpin,  93  days;  Contest,  97 
days;  Oriental  100  days;  Trade  Wind,  102  days; 
Westwa7d  Ho,  103  days ;  Phantom,  104  days ;  Sword- 
Fish,  Hornet,  and  Flying  Cloud,  each  105  days;  and 
Sea  Serpent,  107  days.  The  Comet  arrived  on 
January  17th,  after  a  passage  of  112  days  from 
Boston.  While  off  Bermuda  she  encountered  a 
heavy  southwest  gale,  and  was  laying  to  under  close- 
reefed  fore-  and  maintopsails  and  foretopmast  stay- 
sail, when  the  wind  suddenly  shifted  into  the  south- 
east and  blew  with  terrific  force,  carrying  away 
the  foretopmast  stays,  sending  the  foretopmast  over 
the  side,  and  making  junk  of  the  two  topsails.  Cap- 
tain Gardner  had  a  good  crew,  and  so  soon  as  the 
weather  moderated,  he  rerigged  his  ship  at  sea, 
and  took  her  into  San  Francisco  as  noted,  in  112 
days. 

Racing  had  now  become  close  and  exciting,  and 
the  fleet  was  so  large  that  it  was  not  uncommon 

224 


California  Clippers  of  1853  225 

for  two  or  three  ships  to  be  in  company  at  sea, 
each  striving  to  outsail  the  others.  As  we  have 
seen,  the  Flying  Fish  won  the  race  this  year,  and 
from  one  of  the  finest  fleets  of  clippers  that  ever 
sailed  from  New  York.  The  match  between  her  and 
the  John  Gilpin  was  exceedingly  close,  and  taken 
altogether  was  one  of  the  best  ever  sailed  upon 
this  famous  ocean  course,  the  Derby  of  the  sea.  It 
was  Samuel  Hall  against  Donald  McKay,  Justin 
Doane  against  Edward  Nickels,  and  all  against  the 
fleet. 

The  John  Gilpin  sailed  out  past  Sandy  Hook, 
October  29,  1852,  followed  by  the  Flying  Fish  on 
November  1st,  and  before  the  green  Highlands  of 
Neversink  had  disappeared  below  the  horizon  both 
ships  were  under  a  cloud  of  canvas.  The  Flying 
Fish  fanned  along  through  the  doldrums  and 
crossed  the  equator  21  days  from  Sandy  Hook, 
leading  the  John  Gilpin  by  one  day.  From  the  line 
to  50°  S.,  the  John  Gilpin  made  the  run  in  23  days, 
passing  the  Flying  Fish  and  getting  a  clear  lead 
of  two  days.  The  Flying  Fish  did  some  fine  sail- 
ing here;  dashing  through  the  Straits  of  Le  Maire, 
she  came  up  alongside  the  John  Gilpin  just  off  the 
Horn,  and  Nickels,  ever  famous  for  his  jovial  good- 
cheer,  invited  Doane  to  come  aboard  and  dine  with 
him,  "  which  invitation,''  the  John  Gilpin's  log-book 
ruefully  records,  "  I  was  reluctantly  obliged  to  de- 
cline." This  is  perhaps  the  only  instance  of  an 
invitation  to  dine  out  being  received  off  Cape  Horn. 
Few  men  have  had  the  opportunity  to  extend  such 
unique  hospitality  and  certainly  none  could  do  so 
more  heartily  and  gracefully  than  the  famous  com- 


226  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

mander  of  the  Flying  Fish.  His  vessel  made  the 
run  from  50°  S.  in  the  Atlantic  to  50°  S.  in  the 
Pacific  in  7  days,  leading  her  rival  by  two  days. 
From  this  point  to  the  equator,  the  Flying  Fish 
was  19  and  the  John  Gilpin  20  days.  From  here 
the  John  Gilpin  showed  remarkable  speed,  making 
the  run  to  San  Francisco  in  15  days,  a  total  of  93 
days,  closely  followed  by  the  Flying  Fish,  92  days 
from  Sandy  Hook.  Their  abstract  logs  are  as 
follows : 


Flying  Fish  John  Gilpin 

Sandy  Hook  to  the  equator 21  days  24  days. 

Equator  to  50°   S 27    "  23     " 

50°    in   the   Atlantic   to    50°    S.   in 

Pacific   7    "  11     " 

To  the  equator 19    "  20     " 

Equator  to  San  Francisco 18    "  15     " 

Total    92   «  93     " 


When  we  reflect  that  this  match  was  sailed  over 
a  course  of  some  15,000  miles,  and  that  the  difference 
of  time  was  only  twenty-four  hours,  one  is  impressed 
with  the  perfection  to  which  the  models  of  the 
vessels  had  been  brought,  as  well  as  the  exactness 
of  the  data  relating  to  the  winds  and  currents  that 
had  been  gathered  and  reduced  to  a  system  by 
Maury,  and  with  the  skill  of  their  captains,  who 
were  guided  by  his  charts  and  sailing  directions. 
The  average  difference  of  sailing  between  these  two 
ships  was  less  than  six  seconds  per  mile  over  the 
entire  distance.  Few  races  over  thirty-mile  courses 
have  been  sailed  by  yachts  more  evenly  matched. 


California  Clippers  of  1853  227 

No  racing  yachts  have  ever  been  handled  with 
greater  care  and  skill  than  were  these  clipper  ships 
over  courses  of  thousands  of  miles.  It  was  the 
custom  for  the  captains  to  change  their  clothes 
at  eight  o^clock  in  the  evening  and  at  the  same 
time  in  the  morning,  the  exceptions  being  in  thick 
and  stormy  w^eather,  when  they  would  not  be  out 
of  their  clothes  perhaps  for  two  or  three  days 
at  a  time.  The  officers  and  men  of  the  watch 
below  were  expected  to  be  ready  to  tumble  out  on 
deck  at  a  moment's  notice  to  make  or  to  shorten 
sail.  The  ^'  old  man "  was  very  likely  to  appear 
on  deck  at  any  moment,  night  or  day,  which  kept 
the  officers  in  a  high  state  of  watchfulness.  This 
was  the  only  way  in  which  these  ships  could  be 
sailed  and  make  the  passages  they  did. 

Another  splendid  match  of  this  year,  sailed  to 
the  eastward  round  the  Horn,  was  that  between 
the  Northern  Light  and  the  Contest.  The  Contest 
was  built  by  Jacob  A.  Westervelt  and  commanded 
by  Captain  William  Brewster,  of  Stonington,  and 
was  one  of  the  fastest  ships  owned  by  A.  A.  Low 
&  Brother.  She  sailed  from  San  Francisco  for  New 
York,  March  12,  1853,  followed  by  the  Northern 
Light  on  the  13th,  bound  for  Boston.  Off  Cape 
Horn,  the  Northern  Light  came  up  with  and  sig- 
nalled the  Contest^  and  from  there  led  her  home 
by  three  days,  the  Northern  Light  being  76  days  5 
hours  to  Boston  Light,  while  the  Contest  was  80 
days  to  Sandy  Hook.  In  1854  the  Comet  made  the 
passage  from  San  Francisco  to  New  York  in  76 
days,  these  being  the  record  passages  from  San 
Francisco  to  Atlantic  ports. 


228  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

On  this  famous  passage  the  Northei-n  Light  made 
the  run  from  San  Francisco  to  Cape  Horn  in  38 
days,  and  was  off  Rio  Janeiro  in  52  days,  thence 
to  Boston  Light  in  24  days.  Her  best  day's  run 
was  354  miles.  She  made  the  round  voyage  to 
San  Francisco  and  return,  including  detention  in 
port,  in  exactly  seven  months.  Captain  Hatch,  her 
commander,  was  a  thorough  clipper  ship  captain, 
who  never  allowed  his  ship  to  suffer  for  want  of 
canvas,  and  on  this  passage  he  brought  his  vessel 
across  Massachusetts  Bay  before  a  fresh  easterly 
breeze,  carrying  her  ringtail,  skysails,  and  studding- 
sails  on  both  sides,  alow  and  aloft,  until  she  was 
off  Boston  Light — a  superb  marine  picture,  and  one 
seldom  seen  by  landsmen  even  in  those  days. 

No  more  beautiful  sight  can  be  imagined  than 
a  morning  at  sea,  with  these  magnificent  vessels 
racing  in  mid-ocean,  perhaps  two  or  three  of  them 
in  sight  at  once;  the  sun  rising  amid  golden  clouds; 
the  dark  blue  sea  flecked  with  glistening  white  caps; 
long,  low  black  hulls  cleaving  a  pathway  of  spark- 
ling foam;  towering  masts,  and  yards  covered  with 
snowy  canvas  which  bellies  to  the  crisp  morning 
breeze  as  if  sculptured  in  marble;  the  officers  alert 
and  keen  for  the  contest;  the  African  cook  showing 
his  woolly  head  and  grinning,  good-natured  face  out 
through  the  weather  door  of  the  galley,  while  the 
wholesome  odor  of  steaming  coffee  gladdens  the 
hearts  of  officers  and  men.  And  after  all,  when  has 
anything  ever  tasted  half  so  refreshing  as  a  tin  pot 
of  hot  coffee,  sweetened  with  molasses,  under  the  lee 
of  the  weather  bulwark,  in  the  chill  dawn  of  the 
morning  watch? 


California  Clippers  of  1853  229 

The  third  mate  walks  over  to  the  lee  side  and 
knocks  the  ashes  out  of  his  pipe  against  the  rail, 
and  as  the  sparks  fly  far  to  leeward,  like  falling 
stars  among  the  foaming  waves,  he  sings  out,  "  Turn 
to  there  forward  and  wash  down  decks;  boatswain, 
take  a  pair  of  those  gulpins  and  rig  the  head  pump ; 
the  rest  of  you  get  the  gear  triced  up."  The  watch, 
with  sand,  buckets  of  water,  and  brooms,  bare-footed 
and  with  trousers  rolled  up  to  their  knees,  begin 
to  scrub  and  scrub  and  scrub.  Then  when  the  sun 
has  dried  out  ropes  and  canvas,  the  gear  is  swayed 
up  fore  and  aft,  with  watch  tackles  on  the  chain 
topsail  sheets,  and  a  hearty: 

"  Way  haul  away. 
Haul  away  the  bowline. 
Way  haul  away.  Haul  away,  Joe ! " 

The  halliards  are  led  along  the  deck  fore  and 
aft  in  the  grip  of  clean  brawny  fists  with  sinewy 
arms  and  broad  backs  behind  them,  the  ordinary 
seamen  and  boys  tailing  on,  and  perhaps  the  cook, 
steward,  carpenter,  and  sailmaker  lending  a  hand, 
and  all  hands  join  in  a  ringing  chorus  of  the 
ocean,  mingling  in  harmony  with  the  clear  sky, 
indigo-blue  waves,  and  the  sea  breeze  purring  aloft 
among  the  spars  and  rigging: 

"  Oh,  poor  Reuben  Ranzo, 
Ranzo,  boys,  O  Ranzo, 
Oh,  Ranzo  was  no  sailor, 
Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo. 
So  they  shipped  him  aboard  a  whaler, 
Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo, 


230  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

And  he  could  not  do  his  duty, 

Kanzo  boys,  O  Ranzo. 

So  the  mate,  he  being  a  bad  man, 

Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo, 

He  led  him  to  the  gangway, 

Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo, 

And  he  gave  him  five-and-twenty, 

Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo, 

But  the  captain,  he  being  a  good  man, 

Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo, 

He  took  him  in  the  cabin, 

Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo, 

And  he  gave  him  wine  and  whiskey, 

Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo, 

And  he  learned  him  navigation, 

Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo, 

And  now  he  's  Captain  Ranzo, 

Ranzo  boys,  O  Ranzo." 

Finally  the  mate's  clear,  sharp  order  comes: 
^' Belay  there;  clap  a  watch  tackle  on  the  lee  fore 
brace."  "  Aye,  aye,  sir !  "  And  so  every  sheet,  hal- 
liard, and  brace  is  swayed  up  and  tautened  to  the 
freshening  breeze.  The  gear  is  coiled  up,  the  brass- 
work  polished  until  it  glistens  in  the  morning  sun, 
the  paintwork  and  gratings  are  wiped  off,  decks 
swabbed  dry,  and  the  pumps  manned  to  another 
rousing  chanty: 

"  London  town  is  a-burning. 
Oh,  run  with  the  bullgine,  run. 
Way,  yay,  way,  yay,  yar. 
Oh,  run  with  the  bullgine,  run." 


California  Clippers  of  1853  231 

The  ^'  old  man  "  gets  his  morning  sights,  the  log  is 
hove,  the  wheel  and  watch  are  relieved  at  eight 
bells,  and  the  clipper  is  ready  for  another  day  of 
stress  and  strain. 

Mornings  like  these  bring  keen  appetites  to  offi- 
cers and  men,  so  the  watch  below  sit  about  on  their 
chests  in  the  forecastle  or  on  the  fore  hatch  and 
dive  into  the  mess  kid  with  knives  and  spoons.  It 
may  be  a  chunk  of  salt  pork  or  cold  salt  beef,  or 
what  Rufus  Choate,  in  one  of  his  flights  of  forensic 
eloquence,  described  as  the  "  nutritious  hash,"  "  suc- 
culent lob-scouse,''  or  "  palatable  dandy  funk,"  with 
plenty  of  hard  tack  in  the  bread  barge,  and  all 
washed  down  with  unlimited  coffee.  Not  quail  on 
toast  or  devilled  kidneys,  to  be  sure,  but  good  sub- 
stantial seamen's  food,  upon  which  a  man  can  work 
better  at  sea,  grow  stronger,  and  become  less  tired 
than  on  any  other. 

In  the  old  days  captains  used  to  la;^  in  large 
stocks  of  chickens,  eggs,  etc.,  for  their  crews  at 
x\njer  Point,  but  before  the  ship  was  half-way  across 
the  Indian  Ocean,  the  men  would  begin  to  crow  in 
the  dog  watch,  and  come  aft  in  a  body,  asking  that 
their  salt  junk  might  be  restored  to  them.  In  those 
days,  as  now,  salmon  were  plentiful  in  California, 
but  their  introduction  on  board  the  clipper  ships 
failed  to  tempt  the  appetites  of  sailormen  when  off 
soundings.  They  said  they  liked  salt  junk  a  good 
deal  better.  Besides,  it  gave  them  something  to 
growl  about — for  sailors  knew  how  to  curse  junk 
according  to  traditions  approved  by  generations  of 
jackies,  but  w^hen  it  came  to  chickens  and  salmon 
they  were  at  a  loss   for  sufficiently  vigorous   and 


232  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

appropriate  expletives  to  express  their  disgust. 
There  used  to  be  a  yarn  about  an  old  shellback 
who,  in  a  cross-examination,  was  asked  by  a  smart 
Boston  lawyer  whether  the  crew  did  not  have 
enough  to  eat.  The  mariner  replied,  "  Well,  yes, 
your  honor,  there  was  enough  of  it,  such  as  it  was  " ; 
and  upon  further  inquiry  as  to  the  quality  of  the 
food,  he  answered,  "  Now,  you  see,  sir,  it  was  like 
this:  the  food  was  good  enough,  what  there  was  of 
it."  And  this  summed  up  a  sailor's  idea  of  food 
and  pretty  much  everything  else,  in  those  days. 

The  building  of  clipper  ships  in  the  United  States 
reached  its  zenith  in  1853.  In  that  year  forty-eight 
clippers  were  added  to  the  California  fleet,  and  the 
wild  excitement  of  building,  owning,  and  racing 
these  splendid  ships  was  at  its  height.  Every  one 
who  had  capital  to  invest  wanted  one,  or  at  least 
shares  in  one,  and  the  ship-building  yards  were  taxed 
to  their  utmost  capacity.  It  should  be  remembered 
also  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  other  ship- 
building going  on  in  the  United  States  besides  the 
clippers,  and  that  captains,  officers,  and  crews  for 
such  a  large  number  of  vessels  were  by  no  means 
easy  to  obtain. 

In  this  year  Donald  McKay  built  the  Empress 
of  the  Seas  and  Romance  of  the  Seas;  Wil- 
liam H.  Webb,  the  Fly  Aioay,  Snap  Dragon,  and 
Young  America;  Jacob  A.  Westerwelt,  the  Ca- 
thay and  Sweepstakes;  Samuel  Hall,  the  second 
Oriental y  the  Amphitrite,  and  Mystery;  Greenman 
k  Co.,  the  David  Crochett;  Roosevelt  &  Joyce, 
the  David  Broivn;  John  Currier,  the  Guiding 
Star;  Thomas  Collier,  the  second  Panama;  J.  W. 


California  Clippers  of  1853  233 

Cox,  the  Red  Gauntlet;  Briggs  Brothers,  the  John 
Land  and  Golden  Light;  and  Tobj  &  Littlefield,  the 
Morning  Star — nil  beautiful  ships,  the  pride  of  their 
owners  and  captains. 

The  Romance  of  the  Seas,  owned  by  George  B. 
Upton,  of  Boston,  was  the  last  extreme  clipper  ship 
built  by  Donald  McKay  for  the  California  trade. 
She  was  a  beautiful  vessel,  with  extremely  fine  lines, 
heavily  sparred,  and  proved  an  exceedingly  fast 
ship  in  moderate  weather.  Captain  Dumaresq  was 
in  command  on  her  first  voyage  to  San  Francisco. 
She  was  1782  tons  register;  length  240  feet,  breadth 
30  feet  6  inches,  depth  29  feet  6  inches.  The  Sweep- 
stakes, owned  by  Grinnell,  Minturn  &  Co.,  and  de- 
signed by  Daniel  Westervelt,  a  son  of  Jacob  A. 
Westervelt,  was  a  very  sharp  and  handsome  ship, 
and  was  the  last  extreme  clipper  built  in  the 
Westervelt  yard.  She  made  three  passages  from 
New  York  to  San  Francisco  averaging  106  days. 
Captain  George  Lane,  who  commanded  her  fcr  a 
number  of  years,  was  subsequently  a  commander 
in  the  Pacific  Mail  between  San  Francisco  and 
China,  and  later  became  the  agent  of  the  company 
at  Hongkong. 

The  Young  America,  the  last  extreme  clipper  built 
by  William  H.  Webb,  was  owned  by  George  Daniels, 
of  New  York,  and  for  several  years  was  commanded 
by  Captain  David  Babcock.  This  ship  was  1062 
tons  register;  length  236  feet  6  inches,  breadth  42 
feet,  depth  28  feet  6  inches.  She  proved  an  excel- 
lent and  fast  vessel.  Among  her  many  fine  passages 
may  be  mentioned:  from  New  York  to  San  Fran- 
cisco,  103,   107,   110,   112,   117,   and   116  days,   and 


234  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

from  San  Francisco  to  New  York,  92,  97,  85,  101, 
103,  and  83  days;  San  Francisco  to  Liverpool,  103 
and  106  days ;  Liverpool  to  San  Francisco,  117,  111, 
and  99  days;  and  twenty  consecutive  passages  from 
New  York  to  San  Francisco  averaging  117  days. 
Her  best  performance,  however,  was  from  50°  S.  in 
the  Atlantic  to  50°  S.  in  the  Pacific,  in  the  record 
time  of  6  days.  She,  too,  was  an  exceedingly  hand- 
some ship,  and  was  Mr.  Webb's  favorite  among  all 
the  splendid  ships  constructed  by  him.  After  thirty 
years'  continuous  service  in  the  San  Francisco  trade, 
during  which  she  is  said  to  have  rounded  Cape 
Horn  over  fifty  times,  she  was  finally  sold  to  a 
firm  in  Austria,  upon  condition  that  her  name  should 
be  changed.  She  then  became  known  as  the  Miroslav 
and  foundered  with  all  hands  in  1888,  while  bound 
from  Philadelphia  to  a  European  port. 


CHAPTER  Xy 

THE     "  GREAT     REPUBLIC  "    AND    THE     "  DREADNOUGHT  '' 

TWO  other  ships  built  in  1853  deserve  notice 
here,  though  they  were  not  constructed  for 
the  California  trade.  They  were  Donald  McKay's 
Great  RcpuUic  and  the  famous  packet  ship 
Dreadnought. 

For  some  time  Mr.  McKay  had  contemplated 
building  a  ship  for  the  Australian  trade,  but  fail- 
ing to  find  any  one  to  join  in  the  undertaking,  and 
stimulated  by  the  success  of  the  Sovereign  of  the 
Seas,  he  resolved  to  build  her  for  himself.  This 
vessel  was  the  Great  RepuhUc,  the  largest  extreme 
clipper  ship  ever  built.  She  attracted  universal  at- 
tention from  the  fact  of  her  being  by  far  the  largest 
merchant  ship  constructed  up  to  that  time,  and 
also,  among  those  interested  in  shipping,  on  account 
of  the  excellence  of  her  construction  and  her 
majestic  beauty. 

This  vessel  was  4555  tons  register,  and  measured : 
length  335  feet,  breadth  53  feet,  depth  38  feet.  She 
had  four  decks,  the  upper  or  spar  deck  being  flush 
with  the  covering  board  and  protected  by  a  rail 
on  turned  oak  stanchions.  She  carried  a  fifteen 
horse-power  engine  on  deck  to  hoist  the  yards  and 
to  work  the  pumps,  this  being  the  first  time  an 

235 


22,6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

engine  was  put  aboard  a  sailing  ship  for  these  pur- 
poses. She  had  four  masts  with  Forbes's  rig  ^  on 
the  fore-,  main-,  and  mizeumasts,  the  after-  or  spank- 
ermast  being  barque-rigged. 

October  4,  1853,  was  a  proud  day  for  Boston. 
Business  was  suspended,  and  the  schools  were  closed 
in  order  that  every  one  might  have  an  opportunity 
to  see  the  launch  of  the  Great  Repul)Uc,  People 
flocked  from  far  and  near.  It  was  estimated  that 
thirty  thousand  persons  crossed  by  ferry  to  East 
Boston,  while  Chelsea  Bridge,  the  Navy  Yard  at 
Charlestown,  and  the  wharves  at  the  north  end  of 

1  Forbes's  rig  was  invented  by  Captain  R.  B.  Forbes, 
and  was  first  put  on  the  topsail  schooner  Midas  in  1841, 
afterwards  on  the  auxiliaries  Edith,  Massachusetts,  and 
Meteor;  ships,  R.  B.  Forbes,  Lintin,  Flying  Childers, 
Aurora,  Cornelius  Grimiell,  and  probably  others.  In  this 
rig  the  topmast  was  fidded  abaft  the  lowermast  head,  and 
the  lower  topsail  yard  hoisted  on  the  lowermast  head 
from  the  eyes  of  the  lower  rigging  to  the  cap.  The  lower 
topsail  had  two  reefs  with  reef -tackles,  buntlines,  and  clew- 
lines, as  in  the  single  topsail  rig.  The  upper  topsail  hoisted 
on  the  topmast  and  had  the  same  gear  as  the  lower  topsail. 
Sometimes  the  topmast  was  fidded  before  the  lower  mast- 
head, and  then  the  lower  topsail  yard  hoisted  on  the 
doubling  of  the  topmast.  This  rig  was  an  improvement 
upon  the  single  topsail  rig,  but  was  eventually  super- 
seded by  Howes's  rig,  which  was  invented  by  Captain 
Frederic  Howes,  of  Brewster,  Massachusetts,  who  in  1853 
first  put  it  on  the  ship  Climax,  of  Boston,  which  he  com- 
manded. Captain  Howes  took  out  a  United  States  patent 
for  his  rig  in  1854.  In  this  rig,  the  lower  topsail  yard 
is  slung  by  a  truss  at  the  lower  mast  cap ;  indeed,  Howes's 
rig  is  the  double  topsail  rig  of  the  present  day,  though 
one  does  not  often  hear  the  name  of  Captain  Howes  in 
connection  with  it. 


The  **  Great  Republic*'  237 

the  city  were  thronged  by  at  least  as  many  more. 
The  shipping  at  the  Navy  Yard  was  gayly  dressed 
with  bunting,  and  the  harbor  was  filled  with  steam- 
ers and  pleasure  boats  crowded  with  people.  It 
was  a  beautiful  day,  with  a  clear  blue  sky,  bright 
sunshine,  and  a  gentle  westerly  breeze. 

All  the  staging  used  in  the  construction  of  the 
ship  had  been  removed,  leaving  her  in  full  view  as 
she  rested  upon  the  ways.  Her  long  black  hull  had 
no  ornament  except  a  beautifully  carved  eagle's 
head  where  the  sweep  of  her  raking  stem  and  the 
sharp  lines  of  her  bow  intersected,  and  across  her 
handsome  stern  the  American  eagle  with  extended 
wings,  under  which  her  name  and  port  of  hail  were 
carved  in  plain  block  letters.  She  had  the  same 
graceful  sheer,  finely  formed  midship  section,  and 
beautifully  moulded  ends  that  had  been  seen  in 
this  yard  in  the  Stag-Hound^  Flying  Cloudy  Bald 
Eagle,  Westward  Ho,  Flying  Fish,  and  Sovereign 
of  the  Seas,  only  on  a  much  larger  scale;  indeed, 
from  end  to  end  she  looked  the  out-and-out  clipper. 
Spars  were  erected  at  the  mast  partners,  and  from 
the  main  she  carried  a  long  coach-whip  pennant 
and  a  large  white  flag  with  the  arms  of  the  United 
States  in  the  centre;  from  the  other  three  spars 
she  flew  large  United  States  ensigns,  and  from  a 
staff  on  her  bowsprit,  the  Union  Jack. 

The  sun  gleamed  and  sparkled  upon  her  smooth, 
bright  yellow-metal  sheathing,  when  at  twelve 
o'clock  the  signal  was  given  and  the  shores  fell, 
to  the  wild  chorus  of  toi)mauls,  so  well  known  in 
every  Atlantic  port  fifty  years  ago.  She  moved 
slowly  at  first;  then,  gathering  way,  fairly  leaped 


238  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

into  the  sea,  amid  smoke  and  fire  from  the  burning 
ways,  the  roar  of  artillery,  the  music  of  bands,  and 
the  cheers  of  the  vast  multitude.  So  swiftly  did 
she  leave  the  ways  that  two  anchors  and  the  power- 
ful steamer  R.  B.  Forhes  barely  succeeded  in  bring- 
ing her  up,  close  to  Chelsea  Bridge.  The  Great 
Repiihlic  was  named  by  Captain  Alden  Gifford,  who 
performed  the  ceremony  by  breaking  a  bottle  of 
Cochituate  water  over  her  bow  as  she  began  to 
move  along  the  ways.  This  was  an  innovation  that 
created  much  comment  at  the  time,  and  was  per- 
mitted by  Mr.  McKay  in  deference  to  the  wishes  of 
Deacon  Moses  Grant  and  a  number  of  energetic 
Boston  women  who  were  pushing  the  temperance 
movement  and  desired  to  advertise  their  wares. 

During  the  afternoon  she  was  towed  under  the 
shears  at  the  Navy  Yard  to  receive  her  masts,  yards, 
and  rigging,  and  the  work  of  fitting  them  was  done 
under  the  supervision  of  Lauchlan  McKay,  her  cap- 
tain. As  no  vessel  before  or  since  ever  had  such, 
enormous  spars,  their  dimensions  are  interesting 
enough  to  be  given  in  full : 

Masts  Diameters  Lengths    Mastheads 

Inches  Feet  Feet 


Fore    44. 

Top    24. 

Topgallant    18. 

Royal    15. 

Skysail 11 

Main    44. 

Top    24. 

Topgallant    18. 


130 

36 

76 

12 

28 

0 

.22 

0 

.  19.... 
131 

...Pole  12 
36 

76 

12 

28.... 

0 

The  "  Great  Republic  "  239 

Masts  Diameters  Lengths      Mastheads 

Inches  Feet  Feet 

Royal    15 22 0 

Skysail 11 19 Pole  12 

Mizen    40 122 33 

Top  22 69 10 

Topgallant    16 22 0 

Royal   10 19 0 

Skysail 8 15 Pole     8 

Yards  Yardarms 

Fore    26 110 6 

Lower  topsail 24 90 5 

Upper    topsail 19 76 4^^ 

Topgallant    15 62 4 

Royal    12 51 3l^ 

Skysail    9 40 3 

Main 28 120 6 

Lower    topsail 24 92 5 

Upper    topsail 19 76 4 

Topgallant    15 62 4 

Royal   12 51 3y2 

Skysail 9 40 3 

Crossjack    24 90 5 

Lower  mizentopsail ... .19 76 ^Vz 

Upper   mizentopsail ...  15 62 4 

Topgallant    12 51 SMi 

Royal   9 40 3 

Skysail 6 29 2 

The  spankermast,  nowadays  called  the  jigger,  was 
2G  inches  in  diameter,  110  feet  long,  including  14 
feet  head,  and  the  topmast  was  40  feet  long  di- 
vided at  15  and  10  feet  above  the  cap,  for  the  gaff- 
topsail  and  gaff-topgallantsail.  The  spanker  boom 
was  40  feet  long,  including  2  feet  end,  and  the  gaff 


240  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

.34  feet,  including  8  feet  end.  The  bowsprit  was  i4 
inches  in  diameter  and  30  feet  out-board;  the  jib- 
boom  23  inches  in  diameter,  and  18  feet  outside  of 
the  cap,  and  the  flying  jibboom  was  14  feet  long  in- 
cluding 6  feet  end.  Her  fore  and  main  rigging  and 
fore-  and  maintopmast  backstays  were  121/2  inch, 
four-stranded  Russian  hemp  rope,  wormed,  and 
served  over  the  eye  and  over  the  ends  to  the  lead- 
ing trucks.  The  mizen  rigging  and  mizentopmast 
rigging  were  of  eight-inch  rope. 

It  was  Mr.  McKay's  intention  to  put  the  Great 
Repu'blic  into  the  Australian  trade  in  competition 
with  the  British  clippers  that  were  then  coming  out, 
and  when  her  rigging  and  outfit  were  completed, 
she  was  towed  to  Xew  York  by  the  R.  B.  Forhcs  and 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Grinnell,  Minturn  &  Co.,  who 
began  loading  her  for  Liverpool  at  the  foot  of  Dover 
Street,  East  River.  Thousands  of  people  came  to 
see  this  splendid  ship,  including  the  Governor  of 
New  York,  members  of  the  Legislature,  and  other 
prominent  citizens.  The  season  was  favorable  for 
a  rapid  passage  across  the  Atlantic,  and  it  was  con- 
fidently predicted  that  the  Great  Republic  would 
make  a  record  run  to  Liverpool. 

She  was  nearly  ready  for  sea  with  all  her  sails 
bent  below  the  royals,  w^hen,  on  the  night  of  De- 
cember 2G,  1853,  a  fire  broke  out  in  Front  Street, 
one  block  from  where  the  vessel  lay,  and  nearly  in 
line  with  her  as  the  wind  was  then  blowing.  At  a 
little  past  midnight  the  watchman  called  the  second 
mate,  as  sparks  were  flying  across  and  falling  in 
all  directions  about  the  ship.  All  hands  were  at 
once  called   and   stationed  with   buckets   of  water 


The  **  Great  Republic*'  241 

in  various  parts  of  the  ship ;  men  were  sent  into  the 
fore-,  main-,  and  mizentops,  and  whips  were  rove 
to  send  up  buckets  of  water.  Soon  the  foresail 
burst  into  flames,  and  one  by  one  the  topsails  and 
topgallantsails  took  fire.  Every  effort  was  made  to 
cut  the  sails  from  the  yards,  but  the  men  were 
driven  back  exhausted,  and  the  firemen,  who  by  this 
time  had  arrived  with  their  engines,  refused  to  work 
on  board  or  near  the  ship  for  fear  of  falling  blocks 
and  gear. 

Captain  McKay,  and  Captain  Ellis,  representing 
the  underwriters,  had  a  hurried  consultation,  and 
it  was  decided,  in  order  to  save  the  hull,  to  cut 
away  the  masts.  The  fore-  and  foretopmast  stays 
and  rigging  were  cut  and  the  mast  went  over  the 
side  into  the  dock;  the  topmast  in  falling  broke 
short  off  and  came  down,  end  on,  through  three 
decks.  The  main-  and  mizenmasts  were  next  cut 
away,  and  in  falling,  crushed  boats,  deckhouses,  and 
rails,  and  disabled  the  steam-engine.  At  this  time 
the  decks  were  a  mass  of  burning  yards,  masts, 
sails,  and  rigging.  The  firemen  now  got  to  work, 
and  toward  morning  succeeded  in  putting  out  the 
fire  on  deck. 

The  firemen  had  left,  and  it  was  supposed  that  the 
hull  and  cargo  were  safe^  when  suddenly  smoke  was 
discovered  coming  from  the  hold,  and  it  was  found 
that  the  burning  foretopmast  in  falling  through  the 
decks  had  set  fire  to  the  cargo.  This  fire  had  gained 
such  headway  that  it  was  beyond  control;  the  ship 
was  therefore  scutted  in  three  places  and  sunk 
ten  feet  when  she  took  the  bottom.  Every  means 
was  used  to  extinguish  the  fire,  but  she  burned  for 
16 


242  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

two  days  until  the  flames  reached  the  water's  edge. 
After  the  fire  had  burned  itself  out  a  coffer-dam. 
was  built  and  the  wreck  floated  by  means  of  steam 
pumps.  It  was  found  that  a  portion  of  her  cargo 
of  grain  had  swollen  to  such  an  extent  as  to  start 
the  knees  and  beams  of  the  lower  hold,  and  that 
the  hull  was  otherwise  badly  strained  and  buckled. 
She  was  therefore  condemned  and  abandoned  to  the 
underwriters.  The  ships  Joseph  Walker  and  White 
Squall  were  also  destroyed  in  this  fire. 

The  wreck  of  the  Great  RepuMic  was  subsequently 
sold  by  the  underwriters  to  Captain  N.  B.  Palmer 
and  taken  to  Greenpoint,  Long  Island,  to  be  rebuilt 
by  Sneeden  &  Whitlock,  and  she  eventually  became 
the  property  of  A.  A.  Low  &  Brother.  The  rebuild- 
ing occupied  more  than  a  year,  and  when  the  Great 
Republic  again  appeared,  much  of  the  original 
beauty  of  her  hull  had  been  restored.  The  spar- 
deck  had  not  been  replaced,  but  her  freeboard  was 
nearly  the  same,  as  the  height  of  the  bulwarks  was 
only  a  little  below  the  former  upper  deck,  and  the 
same  sheer  line  had  been  preserved.  Forward,  the 
eagle's  head  which  had  been  destroyed  was  replaced 
by  a  carved  billet  head  and  scrool,  and  her  bow  was 
still  exceedingly  handsome.  A  great  change  had 
been  wrought  aloft;  her  sail  plan  had  been  cut  down 
and  all  of  her  spars  greatly  reduced  in  length — the 
fore-  and  mainmasts  17  feet,  the  fore-  and  main- 
yards  20  feet,  and  all  other  spars  in  proportion. 
She  still  carried  four  masts,  but  her  rig  had  been 
changed  to  Howes's  double  topsail  yards. 

As  rebuilt  the  Great  Republic  registered  3357  tons, 
and  was  still  the  largest  merchant  ship  of  her  time, 


The  **  Great  Republic"  243 

but  her  reduced  rig  required  only  one  half  the  num- 
ber of  hands  to  handle  it — fifty  able  seamen  and 
fifteen  ordinary  seamen  and  boys.  It  was  for  this 
purpose  that  her  sail  plan  had  been  cut  down,  as 
freights  were  beginning  to  slacken  and  the  tide  of 
economy  was  setting  in.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that 
she  could  not  have  made  a  few  voyages  under  her 
original  rig,  as  her  performance  in  strong  winds 
under  the  reduced  rig  left  little  room  for  doubt 
that  she  would  have  proved,  what  Mr.  McKay  in- 
tended her  to  be,  the  swiftest  sailing  ship  ever  built. 

The  Great  Republic  sailed  on  her  first  voyage, 
February  21,  1855,  commanded  by  Captain  Lime- 
burner,  and  made  the  run  from  Sandy  Hook  to 
Land's  End  in  thirteen  days.  On  her  arrival  at 
London,  three  days  later,  she  was  obliged  to  lie 
in  the  Thames,  as  no  dock  was  large  enough  to  take 
her.  She  was  subsequently  chartered  by  the  French 
Government  as  a  troop  ship  during  the  Crimean 
War,  and  carried  1600  British  soldiers  from  Liver- 
pool to  Marseilles.  During  the  Civil  War,  she  was 
chartered  by  the  United  States  Government  as  a 
troop  ship,  and  was  one  of  the  transports  in  Butler's 
exjjedition  to  Ship  Island. 

The  burning  of  the  Great  Republic  was  a  severe 
blow  to  Donald  McKay,  from  which  he  never  fully 
recovered,  but  he  soon  began  to  bring  out  Austra- 
lian clippers,  some  of  which  proved  quite  as  famous 
as  the  ships  he  had  previously  constructed. 

The  well-known  packet  ship  Dreadnought  also 
came  out  in  1853.  She  was  built  by  Currier  & 
Town  send  at  Newburyport,  and  was  1413  tons  reg- 
ister;  length  210   feet,  breadth  40   feet,   depth  2Q 


244  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

feet.  This  ship  was  owned  by  Governor  E.  D.  Mor- 
gan, Francis  B.  Cutting,  David  Ogden,  and  others, 
of  New  York,  who  subscribed  to  build  her  for 
Captain  Samuel  Samuels.  He  superintended  her 
construction  and  under  his  able  command  she  made 
some  remarkably  quick  voyages  between  New  York 
and  Liverpool,  sailing  in  David  Ogden's  Red  Cross 
Line,  with  the  Victory,  Racer,  and  Highflyer, 

Captain  Samuels  was  born  in  Philadelphia  in  1823 
and  went  to  sea  when  he  was  eleven  years  old, 
and  a  narrative  of  his  adventures  afloat  and  on 
shore  is  contained  in  his  interesting  memoirs 
entitled.  From  the  Forecastle  to  the  Cabin,  pub- 
lished in  1887.  He  was  a  most  amiable  and  enter- 
taining companion,  full  of  good  humor  and 
penetrating  wit.  He  also  cherished  a  belief  in  the 
uplifting  influence  of  an  enterprising  press  agent, 
and  perhaps  no  merchant  ship  of  modern  times  has 
been  better  advertised  than  the  Dreadnought.  She 
sailed  on  her  first  voyage  from  New  York  for  Liver- 
pool, December  15,  1853,  and  from  that  date  until 
her  arrival  at  New  York,  January  28,  1855,  had 
made  eight  passages  between  New  York  and  Liver- 
pool, the  average  time  of  her  eastern  passages  being 
21  days  15  hours,  and  her  western  passages  24  days 
12  hours  from  dock  to  dock. 

Captain  Samuels  commanded  the  Dreadnought 
for  ten  years,  and  during  that  time  she  made  from 
seventy  to  eighty  passages  across  the  Atlantic,  and 
must  have  had  ample  opportunity  to  make  fast  voy- 
ages and  day's  runs.  The  following  abstracts  from 
the  logs  of  her  best  passages  are  therefore  of 
interest : 


The  **  Dreadnought"  245 

She  sailed  from  New  York  for  Liverpool,  No- 
vember 20,  1854;  passed  Sandy  Hook  at  6.30  p.m. 
and  ran  to  noon,  November  21st,  120  miles;  22d,  57 
miles;  23d,  225  miles;  24th,  300  miles;  25th,  175 
miles;  26th,  125  miles;  27th,  250  miles;  28th,  263 
miles;  29th,  240  miles;  30th,  270  miles;  December 
1st,  242  miles;  2d,  222  miles;  3d,  212  miles;  4th, 
320  miles.     Total  3071  miles.     The  log  records : 

At  noon  on  the  4th  took  a  pilot  off  Point  Lynas; 
was  detained  eight  hours  for  want  of  water  on  the 
bar ;  arrived  in  the  Mersey  at  10  p.  m.  ;  thus  making 
the  passage  in  14  days  4  hours,  apparent  time. 
Deducting  eight  hours  for  detention  by  tide  at  the 
bar,  and  also  deducting  the  difference  of  longitude, 
4  hours  and  45  minutes,  gives  the  mean  or  true  time 
of  passage,  13  days  11  hours  and  15  minutes. 
Average  speed  for  the  passage,  O^/o  miles  per 
hour.  On  this  passage,  the  Dreadnought  was  off 
Cape  Clear,  Ireland,  in  12  days  12  hours  from 
Sandy  Hook. 

She  sailed  from  New  York,  May  4,  1855,  and  ar- 
rived at  Liverpool  May  20th;  passage  recorded  as 
15  days  12  hours. 

She  sailed  from  Sandy  Hook,  January  24,  1856 
(time  not  given),  and  ran  to  noon,  January  25th, 
845  miles;  26th,  312  miles;  27th,  252  miles;  28th,  223 
miles ;  29th,  violent  gale,  drifted  90  miles  west-south- 
west ;  30th,  115  miles ;  31st,  212  miles ;  February  1st, 
228  miles;  2d,  208  miles;  3d,  185  miles;  4th,  238 
miles;  5th,  252  miles;  6th,  244  miles;  7th,  212  miles; 
8th,  off  Point  Lynas.  Hove-to  until  daylight  for 
pilot  and  tide.  Total  distance  run  3116  miles  in  14 
days,  or  an  average  of  222  miles  per  day. 


246  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

The  Dreadnought  sailed  from  New  York,  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1859;  at  3  p.m.  discharged  pilot,  and  ran 
to  noon,  February  28th,  200  miles;  wind  south  to 
west-northwest,  brisk  breezes.  March  1st,  293  miles ; 
west-northwest  fresh  breezes.  2d,  262  miles;  north- 
west to  north-northwest  brisk  gales  and  snow- 
squalls.  3d,  208  miles;  north-northwest  to  north 
heavy  gales  and  snow-squalls.  4th,  178  miles; 
north-northeast  to  north  heavy  gales  and  snow- 
squalls.  5th,  218  miles;  north  to  north-northeast 
heavy  gales  and  snow-squalls.  6th,  133  miles ;  north- 
east to  south  light  breezes.  7th,  282  miles;  south- 
southeast  brisk  breezes  and  clear.  8th,  313  miles; 
south-southwest  to  south  fresh  breezes  and  clear. 
9th,  268  miles;  south  to  southeast  brisk  gales. 
10th,  205  miles;  southeast  to  southwest  brisk 
breezes  and  squally.  11th,  308  miles;  south  to 
southwest  strong  breeze  and  squally.  12th,  150 
miles;  southwest,  thick  weather.  Distance  sailed 
from  Sandy  Hook  to  the  Northwest  Lightship,  3018 
miles;  passage  13  days  8  hours,  mean  time. 

It  was  during  this  passage  that  the  Dreadnought 
is  supposed  to  have  made  the  run  from  Sandy  Hook 
to  Queenstown  in  9  days  17  hours,  but  an  analysis 
of  the  abstract  log  shows  that  9  days  21  hours  after 
discharging  her  pilot  to  the  eastward  of  Sandy 
Hook  she  was  not  within  400  miles  of  Queenstown. 

How  this  mythical  tale  originated,  is  difficult  to 
imagine,  but  it  has  been  passed  along  from  one 
scribe  to  another  these  many  years,  until  at  last 
it  has  reached  the  dignity  of  an  ^'  historical  fact," 
having  recently  been  embalmed  in  an  encyclopedia. 
Curiously  enough,  Captain  Samuels  appears  to  be 


The  **  Dreadnought"  247 

almost  the  only  person  who  has  written  about  the 
Dreadnought  who  does  not  refer  to  this  fable.  In 
his  memoirs,  he  makes  no  mention  of  it. 

The  best  passage  to  the  westward  made  by  the 
Dreadnought  was  in  1854,  when  she  ran  from  the 
Rock  Light,  Liverpool,  to  Sandy  Hook  in  19  days 
While  it  cannot  be  said  that  the  Dreadnought  ever 
made  the  fastest  passage  of  a  sailing  vessel  between 
New  York  and  Liverpool,  as  the  records  in  this  re- 
spect are  held  by  the  Red  Jacket,  Captain  Asa 
Eldridge,  from  Sandy  Hook  to  the  Rock  Light,  in 
13  days  1  hour,  in  1854,  and  by  the  Andrew  Jack 
son.  Captain  John  Williams,  from  Rock  Light  to 
Sandy  Hook  in  15  days,  in  1860,  still  the  uniform 
speed  of  the  Dreadnought's  many  voyages  entitles 
her  to  a  high  place  among  the  celebrated  packet 
ships  of  the  past. 

The  Dreadnought  was  a  strikingly  handsome  and 
well-designed,  though  by  no  means  a  sharp  ship. 
Her  masts,  yards,  sails,  ironwork,  blocks,  and 
standing  and  running  rigging  were  of  the  best  ma- 
terial and  were  always  carefully  looked  after.  She 
was  a  ship  that  would  stand  almost  any  amount  of 
driving  in  heavy  weather,  and  her  fast  passages  were 
in  a  measure  due  to  this  excellent  quality,  though 
mainly  to  the  unceasing  vigilance  and  splendid  sea- 
manship of  her  commander.  She  was  wrecked  in 
1869  while  under  the  command  of  Captain  P.  N. 
Mayhew;  her  crew  were  rescued  after  being  adrift 
fourteen  days  in  the  boats,  but  the  noble  old  packet 
ship  went  to  pieces  among  the  rugged  cliffs  and 
crags  and  roaring  breakers  of  Cape  Horn. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

AMERICAN    CLIPPERS    OP    1854    AND    1855 

DURING  the  year  1854  no  less  than  twenty  pas- 
sages were  made  from  Atlantic  ports  to  San 
Francisco  in  110  days  or  less.  The  Flying  Cloud 
rei)eated  her  famous  record  passage  of  89  days,  and 
was  followed  by  the  Romance  of  the  Seas,  96  days; 
Witchcraft,  97  days;  David  Brown,  98  days,  and 
Hurricane,  99  days.  The  abstract  log  of  the  Flying 
Cloud  is  as  follows : 

Sandy  Hook  to  the  equator 17  days. 

Equator  to  50°    South 25      " 

From  50°   South  in  the  Atlantic  to  50° 

South  in  the  Pacific 12      " 

To  the  equator 20      " 

To  San  Francisco 15      " 

Total 89      « 

On  this  passage  the  Flying  Cloud  gave  a  fine  ex- 
ample of  her  sailing  qualities.  She  sailed  eight  days 
after  the  Archer,  also  an  exceedingly  fast  ship,  and 
led  her  into  San  Francisco  by  nine  days.  Captain 
Creesy  received  a  grand  ovation  on  this,  his  second 
record  passage,  and  the  merchants  of  San  Francisco, 
always  generous  and  hospitable,  vied  with  each 
other  to  do  him  honor.     Upon  his  return  to  New 

248 


American  Clippers  of  1854-5         249 

York,  a  banquet  was  given  him  at  the  Astor  House, 
then  the  finest  hotel  in  the  city,  and  a  splendid 
service  of  silver  plate  was  presented  to  him  by  the 
New  York  and  Boston  Marine  Underwriters. 

The  Romance  of  the  Seas  sailed  from  Boston  two 
days  after  the  David  Brown,  commanded  by  Captain 
George  Brewster,  of  Stonington,  had  passed  out  by 
Sandy  Hook,  but  came  up  with  her  off  the  coast 
of  Brazil.  From  this  point  they  were  frequently  in 
company  for  days  together,  finally  passing  through 
the  Golden  Gate  side  by  side,  March  23,  1854.  After 
discharging  their  cargoes,  they  again  passed  out  of 
the  Golden  Gate  together,  this  time  bound  for  Hong- 
kong, and  while  they  were  not  in  company  during 
this  passage  of  45  days,  they  anchored  in  Hong-kong 
harbor  on  the  same  day  and  almost  at  the  same 
hour.  The  log  of  the  Romance  of  the  Seas  records 
that  skysails  and  royal  studdingsails  were  set  just 
outside  the  Golden  Gate  and  were  not  taken  in 
during  the  passage  until  entering  the  harbor  of 
Hong-kong. 

It  is  difficult  to  realize  the  intense  interest  with 
which  these  clipper  ship  races  were  regarded  in 
those  days;  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  at  the  pres- 
ent day  any  branch  of  sport  inspires  so  much 
wholesome,  intelligent  enthusiasm  as  did  these 
splendid  ocean  matches  of  the  old  clippers. 

In  this  year  a  change  came  over  the  California 
trade.  The  wild  rush  to  the  mines  had  subsided, 
and  the  markets  of  San  Francisco,  while  not  over- 
stocked, were  so  sufficiently  and  regularly  supplied 
as  to  render  great  speed  in  the  transportation  of 
merchandise  unnecessary;  the  rates  of  freight  had 


250  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

therefore  declined,  but  were  still  good.  Twenty 
ships,  the  last  of  the  extreme  clippers,  were  built 
in  1854  for  the  California  trade,  including  some 
which  became  celebrated,  such  as  the  Canvashack, 
Fleeticing,  Grace  Darling,  Harvey  Birch,  Nal)o'b, 
Nonpareil,  Ocean  Telegraj^h,  Rattler,  Rohin  Hood, 
and  Sierra  Nevada;  but  we  miss  from  among  the 
ship-builders  of  this  year  the  names  of  Donald 
McKay,  AVilliam  H.  Webb,  Samuel  Hall,  Jacob  A. 
Westervelt,  and  George  Raynes,  none  of  whom 
brought  out  California  clippers. 

Although  no  more  extreme  clippers  were  built 
for  the  California  trade  after  1854,  a  fine  class  of 
ships,  known  as  medium  clippers,  was  constructed, 
some  of  which  proved  exceedingly  fast,  and  remark- 
able passages  continued  to  be  made.  Many  of  these 
medium  clippers  would  be  considered  very  sharp 
and  heavily  sparred  vessels  at  the  present  time. 

The  Sunny  South,  of  70.3  tons  register,  was  one 
of  the  prettiest  clippers  ever  launched  at  New  York, 
and  was  the  only  sailing  ship  built  by  George  Steers, 
the  designer  of  the  yacht  America,  steam  frigate 
Niagara,  and  Collins  Line  steamship  Adriatic.  She 
was  built  for  the  China  trade,  was  launched  at 
Williamsburg,  September  7,  1854;  was  owned  by 
Napier,  Johnson  &  Co.,  and  was  commanded  by 
Captain  Michael  Gregory.  It  is  a  singular  fact 
that  while  this  ship  was  well  known  to  possess 
great  speed  when  in  company  with  other  clippers, 
yet  she  never  made  a  passage  worthy  of  being 
recorded,  and  was  not  a  very  successful  ship  finan- 
cially; although  the  product  of  the  skill  of  a  de- 
signer, who,  dying  in  early  manhood,  left  a  name 


American  Clippers  of  1854-5      251 

so  interwoven  with  his  country's  triumphs  upon 
the  sea  that  it  can  never  be  forgotten. 

In  1859,  the  Sunny  South  was  sold  at  Havana,  her 
name  being  changed  to  Emanuela.  At  that  time 
her  royal  studdingsail  booms  and  skysail  masts  and 
yards  were  removed.  On  August  10,  1860,  she  was 
seized  in  the  Mozambique  Channel  flying  the  Chil- 
ian flag,  with  a  cargo  of  slaves  on  board,  by  the 
British  man-of-war  Brisk,  and  the  following  partic- 
ulars of  her  capture  are  given  by  one  of  the  officers 
of  that  vessel : 

"At  11:30  A.M.  on  the  10th  of  August  last,  as 
Her  Majesty's  ship  Brisk,  Captain  De  Horsey,  bear- 
ing the  flag  of  Rear-Admiral  the  Hon.  Sir  Henry 
Keppel,  K.  C.  B.,  was  running  to  the  northward  in 
the  Mozambique  Channel,  a  sail  was  reported  as 
seen  from  the  masthead.  Steam  was  got  up  without 
delay,  and  sail  made  in  chase.  It  being  hazy,  the 
stranger  was  shortly  lost  sight  of.  When  the 
weather  had  partially  cleared  the  stranger  was 
reported  four  points  on  our  starboard  bow,  and 
the  ship's  course  was  altered  in  that  direction. 
We  were  now  going  eleven  knots  and  a  half, 
and  the  Captain,  feeling  that  it  must  be  some- 
thing out  of  the  common  that  would  alter  bear- 
ings at  that  distance  in  so  short  *a  time,  proceeded 
himself  with  his  glass  to  the  foretopmast  head, 
officers  mounting  the  rigging. 

"  That  a  general  excitement  prevailed  was  evi- 
dent from  the  manner  in  which  our  sails  were 
trimmed,  taken  in,  and  set  again.  Hottentots  and 
landsmen,  who  on  other  occasions  only  looked  at 
ropes,   now   laid   hold   of   them   with   a   will.     The 


252  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Captain's  order  from  the  masthead  to  keep  away 
two  points  showed  that  he  had  observed  something 
suspicious — in  fact,  he  had  noticed  a  sudden  altera- 
tion in  the  course  of  the  chase,  and  pronounced  her 
to  be  a  long,  rakish-looking  ship,  too  large  to  be 
a  slaver,  but  thought  there  was  something  very 
suspicious  in  the  sudden  alteration  of  her  course, 
her  crowd  of  sail,  and  the  unusual  number  of 
staysails. 

"  At  about  3  P.M.  we  could  see  her  hull  from  the 
deck,  and,  carrying  with  us  a  fresh  breeze,  while 
she  was  in  the  doldrums,  we  closed  on  her  rapidly. 
When  within  half  a  mile  we  hoisted  our  colors,  when 
every  glass  was  pointed  toward  her  peak,  and  all 
sorts  of  conjectures  were  made  as  to  what  colors 
she  would  show.  No  one  could  imagine  that  so 
large  a  vessel  could  be  a  slaver. 

"  On  closing  under  her  lee,  and  when  within  a 
cable's  length,  a  white  package  was  thrown  from 
her  side  into  the  sea;  and  the  experienced  then 
exclaimed,  ^  A  slaver,  and  there  go  her  papers ! '  A 
few  minutes  more,  and  we  sheered  up  alongside  to 
leeward  of  as  beautiful  model  of  a  ship  as  ever 
was  seen.  Some  forty  dejected  looking  individuals, 
apparently  a  mixture  of  all  nations,  stood  on  her 
deck;  still  no  colors,  nor  did  she  appear  inclined 
to  shorten  sail  or  heave-to.  The  Captain  then  de- 
termined to  run  ahead  and  lower  the  quarter-boats 
to  drop  down  and  board;  and  as  this  manoeuvre 
was  being  carried  out  a  blank  gun  caused  her  to 
square  the  mainyard,  which  she  did  with  studding- 
sails  hanging  to  the  yard,  and  luffed  up  into  the 
wind. 


JMMirPf  ^fi'MliP. 


American  Clippers  of  1854-5      253 

"  It  was  an  anxious  five  minutes  to  those  on  board 
while  the  boats  were  away.  A  small  white  British 
ensign  run  up  at  her  peak  showed  that  she  was 
a  prize,  and  a  voice  hailed  us,  ^  Eight  hundred  and 
fifty  slaves  on  board ! '  " 

In  1855  the  California  fleet  was  increased  by  the 
building  of  thirteen  medium  clipper  ships,  among 
which  were  the  Andreio  Jackson,  Carrier  Dove, 
Charmer,  Daring,  Herald  of  the  Morning,  Mary 
Whitridge,  and  Ocean  Express.  Only  three  pas- 
sages were  made  from  Atlantic  ports  to  San  Fran- 
cisco during  this  year  in  100  days  or  less;  the 
Herald  of  the  Morning,  from  New  York,  99  days; 
Neptune's  Car,  from  New  York,  and  Westward 
Ho,  from  Boston,  each  100  days.  Thirteen  ships 
made  the  passage  in  over  100  days  and  less  than 
110  days;  among  them  being  the  Boston  Light, 
from  Boston,  102  days;  the  Cleopatra  and  Red 
Rover,  from  New  York,  each  107  days;  the  Flying 
Cloud,  from  New  York,  and  Meteor  and  Don 
Quixote,  from  Boston,  each  108  days;  the  Flying 
Fish,  two  passages  from  Boston  in  109  and  105 
days,  and  the  Governor  Morton,  from  New  York  in 
104  days. 

This  was  Captain  Creesy's  last  voyage  in  tha 
Flying  Cloud,  and  he  now  retired  to  his  home  in 
Salem  until  1861,  when  he  was  appointed  a  Com- 
mander in  the  United  States  Navy  and  assigned  to 
the  clipper  ship  Ino.  She  carried  a  crew  of  eighty 
men  from  Marblehead,  and  on  her  second  cruise  in 
1862  made  the  record  run  of  twelve  days  from 
New  York  to  Cadiz.  Captain  Creesy  subsequently 
commanded  the  clipper  ship  Archer,  and  made  two 


254  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

voyages  to  China.  He  died  at  Salem  in  1871,  in 
his  fifty-seventh  year.  So  long  as  the  American 
clipper  ships  and  their  brilliant  exploits  hold  a 
place  in  the  memory  of  man,  the  names  of  Josiah 
Creesy  and  the  Flying  Cloud  will  be  remembered 
with  pride. 

The  Mary  Whitridge  became  one  of  the  most 
famous  of  the  clippers  launched  in  1855.  She  was 
built  in  Baltimore,  where  she  was  owned  by  Thomas 
Whitridge  &  Co.,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Robert  B.  Cheesborough,  also  of  that  port.  She  was 
877  tons  register;  length  168  feet,  breadth  34  feet, 
depth  21  feet.  On  her  first  voyage  she  made  the 
remarkable  run  of  13  days  7  hours  from  Cape 
Charles  to  the  Rock  Light,  Liverpool.  She  was 
engaged  for  many  years  in  the  China  trade  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Benjamin  F.  Cutler  and 
bore  the  reputation  of  being  the  finest  and  fastest 
ship  sailing  out  of  Baltimore. 

At  this  time  an  important  development  took  place 
in  the  California  trade.  It  had  been  found  that 
the  fertile  soil  of  the  Pacific  slope  could  be  made 
to  yield  other  treasures  than  gold,  and  in  May, 
1855,  the  barque  Gree7ifield,  Captain  Follansbee, 
loaded  the  first  consignment  of  wheat  exported 
from  California,  consisting  of  4752  bags.  She  was 
soon  followed  by  the  Charmer,  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Lucas,  which  loaded  a  full  cargo  of  1400  tons 
of  wheat  for  New  York  at  |28  i)er  ton  freight.  The 
export  of  wheat  in  sailing  vessels  rapidly  increased, 
enabling  ships  to  earn  freights  out  and  home,  and 
this  continued  for  many  years. 

In  1855  Donald  McKay  built  three  fine  medium 


American  Clippers  of  1854-5         255 

clipper  ships,  the  Defender,  Amos  Lawrence,  and 
Ahhott  Lawrence,  which  remind  us  that  a  number 
of  Boston  ships  bore  the  names  of  her  distinguished 
citizens.  There  were  the  Thomas  H.  Perkins,  Rufiis 
Choate,  Starr  King,  Edward  Everett,  R.  B.  Forhes, 
Enoch  Train,  John  E,  Thayer,  George  Peahody, 
Samuel  Appleton,  Rohert  C.  Winth^op,  Russell 
Sturgis,  and  perhaps  others  now  forgotten.  There 
were  already  a  ship,  a  barque,  two  brigs,  and  two 
schooners  named  the  Daniel  Webster,  besides  sev- 
eral steamboats  and  tugs  and  a  pilot-boat;  hence, 
the  owners  of  ships  who  were  desirous  of  honoring 
the  great  statesman  were  obliged  to  adopt  some 
other  means  of  expressing  their  admiration,  and 
since  Webster  was  known  as  the  Defender  of  the 
Constitution  and  also  as  the  Expounder  of  that 
document,  there  were  two  ships  named  the  Defender 
and  the  Expounder.  Some  one  suggested  that  the 
latter  ship  might,  perhaps,  have  been  named  in 
honor  of  Yankee  Sullivan,  a  noted  prize-fighter  then 
retired  from  the  ring. 

The  Defender  was  1413  tons  register,  and  carried 
a  splendid  full-length  figurehead  of  Daniel  Webster. 
She  was  owned  by  D.  S.  Kendall  and  H.  P.  Plymp- 
ton,  of  Boston,  and  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Isaac  Beauchamp. 

My  object  in  drawing  attention  to  this  vessel  is 
to  mention  a  notable  gathering  at  Mr.  McKay's 
house  on  the  day  of  her  launch,  July  27,  1855.  The 
leading  merchants  of  Boston  and  their  families  were 
his  guests  on  that  occasion,  and  speeches  were  made 
by  the  Hon.  Edward  Everett,  ex-Mayor,  the  Hon. 
Benjamin  Seaver,  and  Enoch  Train.     In  the  course 


256  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

of  his  address,  Mr.  Everett  remarked :  "  I  was  at 
a  loss,  I  confess,  to  comprehend  the  secret  of  the 
great  success  which  has  attended  our  friend  and 
host.  Forty-two  ships,  I  understand,  he  has  built 
— all  vessels  such  as  we  have  seen  to-day.  I  do  not 
mean  that  they  were  all  as  large,  but  they  were  as 
well  constructed  and  looked  as  splendidly,  as  they 
rode  on  the  waves.  Forty-two  vessels !  ^  No  one 
else,  certainly,  has  done  more  than  our  friend  to 
improve  the  commercial  marine  of  this  country,  and 
it  has  long  seemed  to  me  that  there  was  a  mystery 
about  it.  But  since  I  have  been  under  this  roof 
to-day,  I  have  learned  the  secret  of  it — excellent 
family  government,  and  a  good  helpmeet  to  take 
counsel  with  and  encouragement  from.  A  fair 
proportion  of  the  credit  and  praise  for  this 
success  is,  I  am  sure,  d^^  j  our  amiable  and  ac- 
complished hostess  [^  I  congratulate  also 
the  father  of  our  host,  1l  father  of  such  a  family. 
He  has,  I  am  told,  fourteen  sons  and  daughters, 
and  fifty  grandchildren.  Nine  of  the  latter 
were  born  during  the  last  vear.  I  wish  to  know, 
my  friends,  if  you  do  not  '.all  that  being  a  good 
citizen ! " 

When  the  Ahhott  La^r,  -  ne  was  launched,  in 
October  of  the  same  year.  Mr.  McKay  was  called 
upon  to  respond  to  the  toast,  "  In  memory  of  Abbott 
Lawrence,"  and  his  brief  speech  has  fortunately 
been  preserved: 

"  Ladies   and  gentlemen :     I   regret  my  inability 

1  Mr.  Everett  is  reported  to  have  said  "  eighty-two," 
but  if  he  did  so,  it  was  a  mistake,  for  forty-two  is  the 
true  number. 


Donald  McKay 


American  Clippers  of  1854-5        257 

to  do  justice  to  the  name  that  is  honored  and  re- 
spected in  every  part  of  the  civilized  world.  My 
speech  is  rude  and  uncultivated,  but  my  feelings,  I 
trust,  are  warm  and  true,  and  could  I  express  those 
feelings,  I  would  tell  you  how  much  I  honor  the 
memory  of  Abbott  Lawrence.  I  know  you  all  honor 
it,  for  you  all  knew  him,  and  to  know  him  was  to 
love  him.  Love  begets  love.  He  loved  our  com- 
mon country  as  a  statesman  of  enlarged  and  liberal 
views,  and  our  state  and  city  as  the  scene  of  his 
personal  labors.  In  Massachusetts  he  commenced 
his  career;  here  he  toiled  and  triumphed,  here  he 
has  bequeathed  the  richest  tokens  of  his  love,  and 
here  all  of  him  that  can  die  mingles  with  the  soil. 
He  was  not  only  a  great  man,  but  a  good  man.  In 
every  relation  of  life,  he  was  a  model  for  imitation. 
Ever  be  his  memory  green  in  the  hearts  of  his 
countrymen.  When  the  ship  which  bears  his  name 
shall  have  been  worn  out  by  the  storms  and  the 
vicissitudes  of  the  sea,  may  another,  and  another, 
and  so  on,  till  the  end  of  time,  perpetuate  it  upon 
the  ocean,  for  he  was  the  patron  and  friend  of 
commerce  as  well  as  of  the  other  great  interests 
of  the  state.  In  conclusion,  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
I  again  give  you  the  memory  of  Abbott  Lawrence. 
May  his  name  and  noble  example  never  be 
forgotten." 

This  speech  seems  to  me  to  be  most  interesting, 
as  showing  the  natural  refinement  of  a  mind  desti- 
tute of  the  culture  of  even  a  common-school  educa- 
tion, or  perhaps  it  would  be  nearer  the  truth  to 
say,  a  mind  that  had  escaped  the  restraining  in- 
fluence of  the  pedagogue. 
17 


258  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

"  Yet  is  remembrance  sweet, 

Though  well  I  know 
The  days  of  childhood 

Are  but  days  of  woe; 
Some  rude  restraint, 

Some  petty  tyrant  sours 
What  else  should  be 

Our  sweetest  blithest  hours." 

These  lugubrious  lines  found  no  echo  in  the  early 
life  of  Donald  McKay,  for  his  boyhood  was  passed 
in  earnest,  healthy  toil,  and  filled  with  a  keen  desire 
for  knowledge,  while  his  manhood  had  known  the 
joy  of  well-earned  success. 

After  the  Ahhott  Lawrence,  Mr.  McKay  built  the 
medium  clippers  Minnehaha,  Baltic,  Adriatic,  Mas- 
tiff, and  barque  Henry  Hill,  all  in  1856;  the  Al- 
hamhra,  1857;  the  Helen  Morris,  and  second 
Sovereign  of  the  Seas,  1868,  and  the  Glory  of  the 
Seas,  1869.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  built  for  the 
United  States  Government,  the  iron  gunboat  Ash- 
uelot,  the  ironclad  monitor  Nausett,  the  wooden 
gunboats  Trefoil  and  Yucca,  and  the  sloop  of  war 
Adams.  In  1877  he  retired  to  his  farm  at  Hamil- 
ton, Massachusetts,  and  there  he  died,  September  20, 
1880,  in  the  seventy-first  year  of  his  age. 

Donald  McKay  was  a  man  of  untiring  energy  and 
industry.  He  was  a  rapid  and  skilful  draughtsman 
and  designed  and  superintended  the  construction  of 
every  vessel  that  he  built.  This  may  also  be  said 
of  almost  every  ship-builder  of  that  period,  but  Mr. 
McKay's  skill,  the  result  of  an  intuitive  perception 
ripened  by  experience,  gave  him  a  peculiar  insight 


American  Clippers  of  1854-5       259 

not  only  into  how  to  create,  but  into  what  to  cre- 
ate, and  it  was  this  genius  that  made  him  pre- 
eminent as  a  builder  of  clipper  ships.  He  was  a 
born  artist  and  his  ships  were  the  finest  expression 
of  mechanical  art.  They  are  entitled  to  a  place  in 
the  realm  of  fine  arts  far  more  than  much  of  the 
merchandise  that  claims  that  distinction. 

Mr.  McKay  was  of  a  generous  nature,  and  lib- 
erally rewarded  the  men  who  assisted  him,  and  he 
was  ever  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to  those  less 
fortunate  than  himself.  So  soon  as  he  began  to 
prosper  he  sent  for  his  parents  and  made  a  new 
home  for  them  at  East  Boston,  and  their  comfort 
and  happiness  were  always  his  care  and  greatest 
pleasure.  In  his  later  years  he  endured  misfortune 
and  ingratitude  with  the  same  sturdy  sweetness  and 
equanimity  that  he  had  shown  in  the  days  when 
fortune  smiled. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

AUSTRALIAN    VOYAGES,    1851-1854 

THE  years  between  1849  and  1856  were  perhaps 
the  most  prosperous  that  ship-owners  and 
ship-builders  have  ever  knowTi.  The  discovery  of 
gold  in  Australia  in  1851  had  much  the  same  effect 
as  that  in  California  in  1848,  and  people  flocked  to 
Melbourne  from  all  parts  of  the  world.  There  was 
this  difference,  however,  that  whereas  passengers 
went  to  California,  after  the  first  rush,  by  steamers 
via  Panama,  and  the  mails  and  gold  were  always 
transported  by  this  route,  all  the  Australian  pas- 
sengers, mails,  and  gold  were  for  a  considerable 
period  carried  by  sailing  vessels.  The  extent  of 
this  traffic  may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  the 
yield  of  the  gold  fields  up  to  December  30,  1852,  a 
little  more  than  a  year  after  their  discovery,  was 
estimated  at  £16,000,000  sterling,  or  $80,000,000. 
Prior  to  1851  the  emigration  to  the  Australian  col- 
onies had  been  about  100,000  persons  per  annum, 
while  the  average  between  1851  and  1854  was 
340,000  annually.  The  transportation  of  these  pas- 
sengers alone  required  an  enormous  amount  of  ton- 
nage, so  that  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Australia  gave 
an  additional  impulse  to  clipper  ship  building. 
At  this  time  the  proper  route  to  ports  on  that 
260 


Australian  Voyages,  1851-1854       261 

part  of  the  globe  had  only  just  become  known,  al- 
though British  ships  had  been  sailing  to  and  from 
Australia  and  New  Zealand  for  many  years,  taking 
out  emigrants  and  bringing  back  wool.  They  usu- 
ally called  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  both  outward 
and  homeward  bound,  this  being  the  route  recom- 
mended by  the  Admiralty.  One  of  the  most  im- 
portant services  rendered  by  Lieutenant  Maury  was 
his  careful  research  in  this  matter,  which  resulted 
in  an  entire  revolution  of  both  outward  and  home- 
ward tracks.  Instead  of  sailing  near  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  outward  bound,  he  discovered  that  a 
ship  would  find  stronger  and  more  favorable  winds 
from  600  to  800  miles  to  the  westward,  then  con- 
tinuing her  course  southward  to  48°,  she  would 
fall  in  with  the  prevailing  westerly  gales  and  long 
rolling  seas  in  which  to  run  her  easting  down.  It 
was  in  this  region  that  the  Australian  clippers 
made  their  largest  day's  runs. 

The  homeward  bound  Admiralty  track  was  en- 
tirely abandoned  by  Lieutenant  Maury  in  favor  of 
continuing  in  the  brave  west  winds,  as  he  called 
them,  round  Cape  Horn,  so  that  a  voyage  to  Mel- 
bourne out  and  home  encircled  the  globe.  By  the 
old  routes,  vessels  were  usually  about  120  days  each 
way,  though  sometimes  considerably  longer.  By  the 
tracks  which  Lieutenant  Maury  introduced,  the  out- 
ward and  homeward  voyages  were  made  in  about 
the  same  time  that  had  formerly  been  consumed  in 
a  single  passage,  though  of  course  the  increased 
speed  of  the  clipper  ships  contributed  to  this  result. 

The  misery  and  suffering  of  passengers  on  board 
the  old  Australian  emigrant  ships  before  the  days 


2^2  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

of  the  clippers  are  difficult  to  realize  at  the  present 
time,  but  there  is  an  account  compiled  from  the 
report  of  the  Parliamentary  Committee  appointed 
in  1844  to  investigate  the  matter,  which  reads  as 
follows : 

"  It  was  scarcely  possible  to  induce  the  passengers 
to  sweep  the  decks  after  their  meals,  or  to  be  de- 
cent in  respect  to  the  common  wants  of  nature;  in 
many  cases,  in  bad  weather  they  would  not  go  on 
deck,  their  health  suffered  so  much  that  their 
strength  was  gone,  and  they  had  not  the  power  to 
help  themselves.  Hence  the  between-decks  was  like 
a  loathsome  dungeon.  When  hatchways  were  opened 
under  which  the  people  were  stowed,  the  steam 
rose  and  the  stench  was  like  that  from  a  pen  of 
pigs.  The  few  beds  they  had  were  in  a  dreadful 
state,  for  the  straw,  once  wet  with  sea-water,  soon 
rotted,  beside  which  they  used  the  between-decks 
for  all  sorts  of  filthy  purposes.  Whenever  vessels 
put  back  from  distress  all  these  miseries  and  suffer- 
ings were  exhibited  in  the  most  aggravated  form. 
In  one  case  it  appeared  that,  the  vessel  having  ex- 
perienced rough  weather,  the  people  were  unable  to 
go  on  deck  and  cook  their  provisions;  the  strongest 
maintained  the  upper  hand  over  the  weakest,  and 
it  was  even  said  that  there  were  women  who  died 
of  starvation.  At  that  time  the  passengers  were 
expected  to  cook  for  themselves,  and  from  their  be- 
ing unable  to  do  this  the  greatest  suffering  arose. 
It  was  naturally  at  the  commencement  of  the  voyage 
that  this  system  produced  its  worst  effects,  for  the 
first  days  were  those  in  which  the  people  suffered 
most  from  sea-sickness,  and  under  the  prostration 


Australian  Voyages,  1851-1854     263 

of  body  thereby  induced,  were  wholly  incapacitated 
from  cooking.  Thus  though  provisions  might  be 
abundant  enough,  the  passengers  would  be  half- 
starved." 

In  an  interesting  book  entitled  Reminiscences  of 
Early  Australian  Life,  a  vivid  description  is  given 
of  maritime  affairs  in  1853.  The  writer,  who  had 
arrived  at  Melbourne  in  1840,  says  that :  "  Since 
that  time  the  town  of  Melbourne  had  developed  from 
a  few  scattered  and  straggling  wooden  buildings, 
with  muddy  thoroughfares  interspersed  with  stumps 
of  gum  trees,  into  a  well-built  and  formed  city,  with 
wide,  and  well-made  streets,  symmetrically  laid  out, 
good  hotels,  club  houses,  and  Government  buildings. 
Port  Phillip  Bay,  in  which  two  or  three  vessels 
used  to  repose  at  anchor  for  months  together,  was 
now  the  anchorage  ground  of  some  of  the  finest 
and  fastest  clippers  afloat." 

At  this  time  (1853)  upwards  of  two  hundred  full- 
rigged  ships  from  all  parts  of  the  world  were  lying 
in  the  Bay.  This  writer  continues :  "  After  land- 
ing their  living  freight  of  thousands  that  were  rush- 
ing out  to  the  gold  fields  to  seek  for  gold,  and 
fearing  that  they  might  be  too  late  to  participate 
in  their  reputed  wealth,  ships  now  waited  for  return 
cargoes,  or  more  probably  for  crews  to  take  them 
home,  as  in  many  cases  all  the  hands  had  deserted 
for  the  gold  fields.  On  ascertaining  that  there  were 
two  good  ships  sailing  for  London,  with  cargoes 
of  wool  and  gold-dust,  about  the  same  time,  or  as 
soon  as  they  could  ship  crews — one  the  Madagascar, 
of  Messrs.  Green  &  Co.'s  line,  and  the  other  the  Med- 
icay  of  Messrs.  Tindall  &  Co.'s  line — I  proceeded  to 


264  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

the  office  and  booked  a  passage  by  the  Madagascar — 
the  passage  in  those  days  for  a  first-class  cabin 
being  £80.  After  paying  the  usual  deposit  and 
leaving  the  office,  I  met  a  friend,  who  was  also 
homeward  bound,  and  on  my  informing  him  that 
I  had  booked  by  the  Madagascar,  he  persuaded  me 
to  change  my  ship  and  go  home  with  himself  and 
others  whom  I  knew  in  the  Medway,  and  upon 
returning  to  the  office  of  Green's  ship,  and  stating 
my  reasons  for  wishing  to  change  to  Tindall's  ship, 
they  were  very  obliging,  and  returned  my  deposit, 
stating  that  they  could  easily  fill  up  my  berth.  It 
was  well  for  me  at  the  time  that  I  changed  ships, 
as  the  Madagascar  sailed  the  same  day  from  Port 
Phillip  Head  as  we  did,  with  four  tons  of  gold-dust 
on  board;  and  to  this  day  nothing  has  ever  been 
heard  of  her.  She  either  foundered  at  sea,  or,  as 
was  generally  supposed,  was  seized  by  the  crew  and 
scuttled  and  the  gold  taken  off  in  boats.  All  must 
have  perished,  both  passengers  and  crew,  as  no  tid- 
ings of  that  ill-fated  ship  ever  reached  the  owners. 

^*  On  board  the  Medway  there  were  four  tons' 
weight  of  gold-dust,  packed  in  well-secured  boxes 
of  two  hundred  pounds  each,  five  of  these  boxes 
being  stowed  under  each  of  the  berths  of  the  saloon 
passengers.  Each  cabin  was  provided  with  cut- 
lasses and  pistols,  to  be  kept  in  order  and  ready 
for  use,  and  a  brass  carronade  gun  loaded  with 
grape  shot  was  fixed  in  the  after  part  of  the  ship, 
in  front  of  the  saloon  and  pointed  to  the  forecastle 
— not  a  man,  with  the  exception  of  the  ship's  officers 
and  stewards,  being  allowed  to  come  aft. 

"  The  character  of  the  crew  shipped  necessitated 


Australian  Voyages,  1851-1854     265 

the  precautions;  for  the  day  previous  to  the  ship's 
sailing  men  had  to  be  searched  for  and  found  in 
the  lowest  haunts  and  were  brought  on  board 
drugged  and  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and 
placed  below  the  hatches.  We,  the  passengers, 
heaved  up  the  anchor  and  worked  the  ship  generally 
until  outside  of  Port  Phillip  Head,  when  the  men 
confined  below,  who  were  to  compose  the  crew,  were 
brought  on  deck,  looking  dazed  and  confused,  any 
resistance  or  remonstrance  on  their  part  being  fu- 
tile. But  those  amongst  them  that  were  able-bodied 
seamen  were  paid  in  gold,  forty  sovereigns  down, 
on  signing  the  ship's  articles  for  the  homeward 
voyage. 

"  Amongst  them  were  useless  hands  and  some  of 
a  very  indifferent  character.  Some,  no  doubt,  were 
escaped  convicts,  or  men  who  had  secreted  them- 
selves to  evade  the  police  and  law;  others  deserters 
from  ships  then  laying  in  the  Bay — about  forty  in 
all,  and  in  general  appearance  a  very  unprepossess- 
ing lot.  However,  there  being  no  help  for  it,  we 
had  but  to  keep  guarded  and  prepared  against  the 
worst;  the  ship's  passengers  together  with  the  offi- 
cers numbering  about  twenty  hands.  The  captain 
was  an  old  and  well-known  sailor  of  high  reputation 
and  long  experience;  and  the  ship  was  w^ell  found 
and  provisioned,  in  anticipation  of  a  long  voyage 
— which  it  proved  to  be,  extending  over  four  months 
from  the  time  we  left  Port  Phillip  Head  until  she 
reached  the  English  coast." 

The  first  clipper  ship  constructed  for  the  Austra- 
lian trade  was  the  Marco  Polo,  of  1622  tons ;  length 
185  feet,  breadth  38  feet,  depth  30  feet.     She  was 


266  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

built  in  1851  by  Smith  &  Co.,  at  St.  John,  N.  B., 
for  James  Baines  &  Co.,  Liverpool,  and  was  the 
pioneer  clipper  of  the  famous  Australian  Black 
Ball  Line.  The  Marco  Polo  was  constructed  with 
three  decks,  and  was  a  very  handsome,  powerful- 
looking  ship.  Above  her  water-line,  she  resembled 
the  New  York  packet  ships,  having  painted  ports, 
and  a  full-length  figurehead  of  the  renowned  ex- 
plorer whose  name  she  bore.  Below  water  she  was 
cut  away  and  had  long,  sharp,  concave  ends.  Her 
accommodations  for  saloon  and  steerage  passengers 
were  a  vast  improvement  upon  anything  before 
attempted  in  the  Australian  trade. 

She  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  Melbourne,  July 
4,  1851,  commanded  by  Captain  James  Nicol  Forbes, 
carrying  the  mails  and  crowded  with  passengers. 
She  made  the  run  out  in  the  then  record  time  of 
68  days,  and  home  in  74  days,  which,  including  her 
detention  at  Melbourne,  was  less  than  a  six  months^ 
voyage  round  the  globe.  Running  her  easting  down 
to  the  southward  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  she 
made  in  four  successive  days  1344  miles,  her  best 
day's  run  being  364  miles.  Her  second  voyage  to 
Melbourne  was  also  made  in  six  months  out  and 
home,  so  that  she  actually  sailed  twice  around  the 
globe  within  twelve  months.  To  the  Marco  Polo 
and  her  skilful  commander  belongs  the  credit  of 
setting  the  pace  over  this  great  ocean  race-course 
round  the  globe. 

Her  success  led  to  the  building  of  a  number  of 
vessels  at  St.  John  for  British  owners  engaged  in 
the  Australian  trade.  Among  these  the  most  fa- 
mous were  the  Hihcrnia^  1065  tons,  Ben  Nevis,  1420 


Australian  Voyages,  1851-1854      267 

tons,  and  Guiding  Star,  2012  tons.  In  Great  Brit- 
ain also  a  large  number  of  ships  were  built  for  the 
Australian  trade  between  the  years  1851  and  1854. 
Many  of  these  were  constructed  of  iron,  the  finest 
being  the  Tayleur,  2500  tons,  which  was  built  at 
Liverpool  in  1853  and  was  at  that  time  the  largest 
merchant  ship  that  had  been  built  in  England.  She 
was  a  very  handsome  iron  vessel,  with  three  decks 
and  large  accommodation  for  cabin  and  steerage 
passengers.  This  vessel  was  wrecked  off  the  coast 
of  Ireland  on  her  first  voyage  to  Melbourne  when 
only  two  days  out  from  Liverpool,  and  became  a 
total  loss;  of  her  652  passengers,  only  282  were 
saved.  Among  the  many  other  vessels  built  in 
Great  Britain  during  this  period  were  the  Lord  of 
the  Isles,  already  mentioned  in  Chapter  XII; 
Vimiera,  1037  tons,  built  at  Sunderland;  the  Con- 
testy  1119  tons,  built  at  Ardrossan  on  the  Firth  of 
Clyde;  and  the  Gauntlet  (iron),  784  tons,  and  Kate 
Carnie,  547  tons,  both  built  at  Greenock.  All  of 
these  vessels  were  a  decided  improvement  upon  any 
ships  hitherto  built  in  Great  Britain,  and  they  made 
some  fine  passages,  among  them  that  of  the  Lord 
of  the  Isles,  from  the  Clyde  to  Sydney,  N.  S.  W., 
in  70  days  in  1853,  but  the  68-day  record  of  the 
Marco  Polo  from  Liverpool  to  Melbourne  remained 
unbroken. 

The  Marco  Polo  was  still  a  favorite  vessel  with 
passengers,  which  goes  to  show  what  a  good  ship 
she  must  have  been,  in  view  of  the  rivalry  of  newer 
and  larger  clippers.  She  sailed  from  Liverpool  in 
November,  1853,  commanded  by  Captain  Charles 
McDonnell^  who  had  been  her  chief  officer  under 


268  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Captain  Forbes.  The  passengers  on  this  voyage,  on 
their  arrival  at  Melbourne,  subscribed  for  a  splen- 
did service  of  silver,  to  be  presented  to  Captain 
McDonnell  upon  his  return  to  England,  which  bore 
the  following  inscription :  "  Presented  to  Captain 
McDonnell,  of  the  ship  Marco  Polo,  as  a  testimonial 
of  resjject  from  his  passengers,  six  hundred  and 
sixty-six  in  number,  for  his  uniform  kindness  and 
attention  during  his  first  voyage,  when  his  ship 
ran  from  Liverpool  to  Port  Phillip  Head  in  seventy- 
two  days,  twelve  hours,  and  from  land  to  land  in 
sixty-nine  days."  The  Marco  Polo  came  home  in 
78  days,  but  these  were  the  last  of  her  famous  pas- 
sages, as  she  drifted  into  the  hands  of  captains 
who  lacked  either  the  ability  or  the  energy,  or 
perhaps  both,  to  develop  her  best  speed — the 
unfortunate  fate  of  many  a  good  ship. 

There  were  at  that  time  a  number  of  lines  and 
private  firms  engaged  in  the  Australian  trade,  the 
best  known  being  the  White  Star  Line,  later  man- 
aged by  Ismay,  Imrie  &  Co.,  and  James  Baines  & 
Co.'s  Black  Ball  Line,  both  of  Liverpool.  There 
was  keen  rivalry  between  the  two,  and  the  Ben 
Nevis  and  Guiding  Star  had  both  been  built  by 
the  White  Star  in  hopes  of  lowering  the  record  of 
the  Marco  Polo.  By  degrees,  however,  it  became 
apparent  that  she  was  an  exceptional  ship,  not  likely 
to  be  duplicated  at  St.  John,  and  also  that  much 
of  her  speed  was  due  to  her  able  commanders,  while 
the  ships  built  in  Great  Britain,  though  fine  ves- 
sels, had  not  come  up  to  the  mark  in  point  of 
speed  or  passenger  accommodations.  It  was  un- 
der these  circumstances  that  British  merchants  and 


Australian  Voyages,  1851-1854      269 

ship-owners  began  to  buy  and  build  ships  for  the 
Australian  trade  in  the  United  States. 

The  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  had  attracted  much 
attention  upon  her  arrival  at  Liverpool  in  1853, 
and  was  almost  immediately  chartered  to  load  for 
Australia  in  the  Black  Ball  Line.  It  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  for  some  reason  Captain  McKay  gave  up 
charge  of  the  ship  and  returned  to  the  United  States, 
the  command  being  given  to  Captain  Warner,  who 
had  no  previous  experience  in  handling  American 
clipper  ships,  although  he  proved  an  extremely  com- 
petent commander.  The  Sovereign  of  the  Seas 
sailed  from  Liverpool  September  7,  1853,  and  ar- 
rived at  Melbourne  after  a  passage  of  77  days.  In 
a  letter  from  Melbourne  Captain  Warner  gives  the 
following  account  of  this  passage: 

"  I  arrived  here  after  a  long  and  tedious  passage 
of  77  days,  having  experienced  only  light  and  con- 
trary winds  the  greater  part  of  the  passage — I  have 
had  but  two  chances.  The  ship  ran  in  four  con- 
secutive days  127.5  miles;  and  the  next  run  was  3375 
miles  in  twelve  days.  These  were  but  moderate 
chances.  I  was  31  days  to  the  Equator,  and  car- 
ried skysails  65  days;  set  them  on  leaving  Liver- 
pool, and  never  shortened  them  for  35  days. 
Crossed  the  equator  in  20°  30'j  and  went  to  53° 
30'  south,  but  found  no  strong  winds.  Think  if 
I  had  gone  to  58°  south,  I  would  have  had  wind 
enough;  but  the  crew  were  insufficiently  clothed, 
and  about  one  half  disabled,  together  with  the  first 
mate.  At  any  rate,  we  have  beaten  all  and  every 
one  of  the  ships  that  sailed  with  us,  and  also  the 
famous  English  clipper  Gauntlet  ten  days  on  ,the 


270  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

passage,  although  the  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  was 
loaded  down  to  twenty-three  and  one  half  feet." 
On  the  homeward  voyage  she  brought  the  mails 
and  over  four  tons  of  gold-dust,  and  made  the  pas- 
sage in  68  days.  On  this  voyage  there  was  a 
mutiny  among  the  crew,  who  intended  to  seize  the 
ship  and  capture  the  treasure.  Captain  Warner 
acted  with  great  firmness  and  tact  in  suppressing 
the  mutineers  and  placing  them  in  irons  without 
loss  of  life,  for  which  he  received  much  credit. 

The  White  Star  Line,  not  to  be  outdone  by  rivals, 
followed  the  example  of  the  Black  Ball  and  in  1854 
chartered  the  Chariot  of  Fame,  Red  Jacket,  and 
Blue  Jacket.  These  ships,  of  which  the  first  was 
a  medium  clipper  and  the  other  two  extreme  clip- 
pers, were  built  in  New  England.  The  Chariot  of 
Fame  was  a  sister  ship  to  the  Star  of  Empire, 
2050  tons,  built  by  Donald  McKay  in  1853,  for 
Enoch  Train's  Boston  and  Liverpool  packet  line. 
The  Chariot  of  Fame  made  a  number  of  fast  voy- 
ages between  England  and  Australia,  her  best  pas- 
sage being  66  days  from  Liverpool  to  Melbourne. 
The  Blue  Jacket  was  a  handsome  ship  of  1790  tons, 
built  by  R.  E.  Jackson  at  East  Boston  in  1854,  and 
was  owned  by  Charles  R.  Green,  of  New  York.  Her 
best  passages  were  67  days  from  Liverpool  to 
Melbourne  and  home  in  69  days. 

The  Red  Jacket,  the  most  famous  of  this  trio, 
was  built  by  George  Thomas  at  Rockland,  Maine, 
in  1853-1854,  and  was  owned  by  Seacomb  &  Taylor, 
of  Boston.  She  registered  2006  tons;  length  260 
feet,  breadth  44  feet,  depth  26  feet;  and  was  de- 
signed by  Samuel  A.  Pook,  of  Boston,  who  had 


Australian  Voyages,  1851-1854      271 

designed  a  number  of  other  clipper  ships,  including 
the  Challenger' — not  the  English  ship  of  that  name, 
— the  Game-Cocky  Surprise,  Northern  Light,  Ocean 
Chief,  Fearless,  Ocean  Telegraph,  and  Herald  of 
the  Morning.  He  also  designed  several  freighting 
vessels  and  yachts.  It  was  the  custom  at  that 
period  for  vessels  to  be  designed  in  the  yards  where 
they  were  constructed,  and  Mr.  Pook  was  the  first 
naval  architect  in  the  United  States  who  was  not 
connected  with  a  ship-bulding  yard.  On  her  first 
voyage  the  Red  Jacket  sailed  from  New  York  for 
Liverpool,  February  19,  1854,  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain Asa  Eldridge,  and  made  the  passage  in  13  days 
1  hour  from  Sandy  Hook  to  the  Rock  Light,  Liver- 
pool, with  the  wind  strong  from  southeast  to  west- 
southwest,  and  either  rain,  snow,  or  hail  during  the 
entire  run.  During  the  first  seven  days  she  aver- 
aged only  182  miles  per  twenty-four  hours,  but 
during  the  last  six  days  she  made  219,  413,  374, 
343,  300,  and  371  miles,  an  average  of  a  fraction 
over  353  miles  per  twenty-four  hours. 

Captain  Eldridge  was  well  known  in  Liverpool, 
having,  together  with  his  brothers,  John  and  Oliver, 
commanded  some  of  the  finest  New  York  and  Liver- 
pool packet  ships  of  their  day;  he  had  also  com- 
manded Commodore  Vanderbilt's  steam  yacht 
North  Star  during  her  cruise  in  European  waters 
in  1853.  He  was  afterwards  lost  in  command  of 
the  steamship  Pacific  of  the  Collins  Line. 

The  Red  Jacket  attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention 
at  Liverpool,  being  an  extremely  handsome  ship — 
quite  as  good-looking  as  any  of  the  clippers  built 
at  New  York  or  Boston.     For  a  figurehead  she  car- 


2"] 2  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

ried  a  full-length  representation  of  the  Indian  chief 
for  whom  she  was  named.  She  made  her  first  voy- 
age from  Liverpool  to  Melbourne  in  1854  under 
command  of  Captain  Samuel  Reed  in  69  days,  and 
as  she  received  very  quick  despatch,  being  in  port 
only  12  days,  and  made  the  passage  to  Liverpool  in 
73  days,  the  voyage  round  the  globe,  including  de- 
tention in  port,  was  made  in  five  months  and  four 
days.  On  the  homeward  passage,  bringing  home 
45,000  ounces  of  gold,  she  beat  the  celebrated  Quid- 
ing  Star  by  9  days,  though  she  lost  considerable 
time  through  being  among  the  bergs  and  field  ice 
off  Cape  Horn.  Upon  her  arrival  at  Liverpool  the 
Red  Jacket  was  sold  to  Pilklington  &  Wilson,  of  that 
port,  then  agents  of  the  White  Star  Line,  for  £30,000, 
and  continued  in  the  Australian  trade  for  several 
years,  becoming  one  of  the  most  famous  of  the 
American-built  clippers. 

The  competition  of  the  Black  Ball  and  White  Star 
lines  proved  of  great  benefit  to  both  cabin  and 
steerage  passengers,  as  their  comfort  and  con- 
venience became  subjects  of  consideration  in  a  man- 
ner unthought  of  in  the  old  days  before  the  discovery 
of  gold  at  Bendigo  and  Ballarat. 


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CHAPTER  XVIII 

AUSTRALIAN    CLIPPERS,    1854-1856 

IN  view  of  the  keen  rivalry  at  this  period,  James 
Baines  &  Co.  determined  to  own  the  finest  and 
fastest  ships  that  could  be  constructed,  and  accord- 
ingly placed  an  order  with  Donald  McKay  to  build 
four  clipper  ships  for  their  Australian  line.  These 
vessels  were  the  Lightning,  2084  tons ;  the  Champion 
of  the  Seas,  2448  tons;  James  Baines,  ^515  tons; 
and  Donald  McKay,  2598  tons,  all  launched  in  1854, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Donald  McKay,  which  was 
not  completed  until  January,  1855.  This  firm  also 
bought  from  Mr.  McKay  the  sister  ships  Japan  and 
Commodore  Perry,  1964  tons  each,  while  they  were 
on  the  stocks  in  course  of  construction. 

These  ships  designed  for  the  Australian  trade 
were  very  similar  to  the  later  California  clipper 
ships  built  by  Mr.  McKay,  though  with  less  dead- 
rise  and  sharper  ends;  they  were  fitted  with  large 
accommodation  for  cabin  and  steerage  passengers; 
while  the  Japan  and  Commodore  Perry  were  some- 
what fuller  ships  than  the  others,  and  were  designed 
with  a  view  to  carry  large  cargoes  rather  than  to 
attain  high  speed. 

The  Lightning  measured :  length  244  feet,  breadth 
44  feet,  depth  23  feet,  with  20  inches  dead-rise  at 

18  273  - 


274  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

half  floor.  She  had  long,  concave  water-lines,  and 
at  her  load-displacement  line  a  cho^'d  from  her 
cut-water  to  just  abaft  the  fore  rigging  showed  a 
concavity  of  16  inches.  Her  stem  raked  boldly  for- 
ward, the  lines  of  the  bow  gradually  becoming 
convex  and  blending  with  sheer  line  and  cutwater, 
while  the  only  ornament  was  a  beautiful  full-length 
figure  of  a  young  woman  holding  a  golden  thunder- 
bolt in  her  outstretched  hand,  the  flowing  white 
drapery  of  her  graceful  form  and  her  streaming 
hair  completing  the  fair  and  noble  outline  of  the 
bow.  The  after  body  was  long  and  clean,  though 
fuller  than  the  bow,  while  the  stern  was  semi- 
elliptical  in  form,  with  the  plank-sheer  moulding 
for  its  base,  and  was  ornamented  with  gilded  carved 
work,  though  this  really  added  nothing  to  the 
beauty  of  the  strong,  sweeping  outline  of  her  hull. 

Aloft  the  Lightning  was  heavily  and  strongly 
rigged.  Her  main  yard  was  95  feet  in  length,  and 
the  total  height  from  the  deck  to  the  mainskysail 
truck  was  164  feet;  her  lower  studdingsail  booms 
were  65  feet  in  length;  her  topsails  and  topgallant- 
sails  were  diagonally  roped  from  clews  to  earings, 
and  her  fore  and  main  stays,  lower  rigging,  and 
topmast  stays  and  backstays  were  of  IIV2  inch 
Russian  hemp,  with  the  rest  of  the  standing  rig- 
ging in  proportion.  Indeed,  her  masts  and  spars 
were  as  strongly  secured  as  skill  and  labor  could 
make  them.  Evidently,  Mr.  McKay  had  grown 
weary  of  having  his  ships  go  to  pieces  aloft. 

The  quarter-deck  was  90  feet  long,  flush  with  the 
top  of  the  bulwarks,  and  protected  by  a  mahogany 
rail  on  turned  stanchions  of  the  same  wood.     She 


Australian  Clippers,  1854-1856       275 

had  also  two  large  deck-houses,  which,  together  with 
the  between-decks,  gave  ample  passenger  accommo- 
dation. The  quarters  for  the  steerage  passengers 
were  comfortably  fitted  and  well  ventilated,  while 
the  saloons,  staterooms,  bathrooms,  and  smoking- 
room  for  the  cabin  passengers  were  superbly 
decorated  and  furnished. 

Captain  Forbes,  late  of  the  Marco  Polo,  was  ap- 
pointed to  command  the  Lightning,  and  came  to 
Boston  by  one  of  the  Cunard  steamers  to  superintend 
the  outfit  of  his  ship.  He  brought  good  letters  of 
introduction,  and  was  well  received;  indeed,  he 
hardly  needed  any  introduction,  as  the  high  reputa- 
tion he  had  gained  while  in  command  of  the  Marco 
Polo  had  preceded  him.  He  made  many  friends  in 
Boston,  especially  among  the  clergy,  as  he  was  an 
enthusiastic  churchman,  and  he  found  a  congenial 
spirit  in  Captain  Lauchlan  McKay,  who  likewise 
took  a  great  interest  in  ecclesiastical  affairs.  These 
two  mariners  became  such  close  friends  that  Cap- 
tain McKay  consented  to  accompany  Captain  Forbes 
to  Liverpool  as  his  companion  and  adviser,  and  as 
w^e  shall  presently  see,  the  Lightning  developed  her 
finest  speed  in  the  hands  of  these  experienced  and 
skilful  seamen. 

The  Lightning  loaded  in  Train's  Line  at  Constitu- 
tion Wharf,  and  sailed  for  Liverpool,  February  18, 
1854.  The  Boston  Daily  Atlas  of  that  date  pub- 
lished the  following  account  of  her  departure: 

"  At  2  o'clock  the  Lightning  hove  her  anchor  up, 
and  at  3  o'clock  discharged  her  pilot  off  Boston 
Light.  She  went  down  in  tow  of  the  steamer 
Rescue,  Captain  Hennessy,  and  was  piloted  by  Mr. 


276  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

E.  G.  Martin.  Before  the  steamer  left  her,  she  set 
her  head  sails,  fore-  and  mizentopsails,  and  had  a 
moderate  breeze  from  west  to  southwest.  She  ap- 
peared to  go  at  the  rate  of  6  knots  under  this 
canvas,  though  she  draws  22  feet  of  water,  and  has 
only  23  feet  depth  of  hold.  We  have  seen  many 
vessels  pass  through  the  water,  but  never  saw  one 
which  disturbed  it  less.  Not  a  ripple  curled  before 
her  cutwater,  nor  did  the  water  break  at  a  single 
place  along  her  sides.  She  left  a  wake  as  straight 
as  an  arrow  and  this  was  the  only  mark  of  her 
progress.  There  was  a  slight  swell  and  as  she  rose 
we  could  see  the  arc  of  her  forefoot  rise  gently 
over  the  seas  as  she  increased  her  speed.  At  5  p.m., 
two  hours  after  the  pilot  left  her,  the  outer  telegraph 
station  reported  her  thirty  miles  east  of  Boston 
Light,  with  all  drawing  sails  set,  and  going  along 
like  a  steamboat.  We  think  her  talented  designer 
and  builder,  Mr.  McKay,  cannot  improve  upon  her 
model.  Her  commander,  being  a  pious  man,  was 
attended  down  the  harbor  by  a  select  party  of 
brethren  and  sisters  of  the  church,  who  at  parting 
gave  him  their  blessing.  This  is  much  better  than 
the  dram-drinking  and  vociferous  cheering  which 
usually  make  up  the  parting  scenes  of  the 
unregenerated." 

The  voyage  so  auspiciously  begun  proved  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  ever  made  by  a  ship  on  the 
ocean ;  for  before  the  Lightning  set  her  pilot  signal 
off  Point  Lynas,  she  had  left  more  miles  of  salt 
water  astern  in  twenty-four  hours  than  any  vessel 
that  has  ever  sailed  the  seas  propelled  by  winds  and 
canvas.     From  the  abstract  log,  published  in  the 


Australian  Clippers,  1854-1856       2^^ 

Liverpool  Albion  soon  after  her  arrival,  it  appears 
that  she  went  round  the  north  of  Ireland,  making 
the  run  to  Eagle  Island  in  10  days,  and  to  the 
Calf  of  Man,  within  80  miles  of  Liverpool,  in  12 
days,  thence  to  Liverpool  in  13  days  191/2  hours 
from  Boston  Light.    Her  day's  runs  were  as  follows : 

1. — "  February  19th.     Wind  west-southwest,  and  north- 
west, moderate;  200  miles. 
2. — 20th.     Wind   north-northeast    and   northeast,    strong 

breezes  with  snow;  328  miles. 
3. — 21st.     Wind    east-southeast    with    snowstorms;    145 

miles. 
4. — 22d.     Wind   east-southeast,   a   gale   with   high   cross 

sea  and  rain;  114  miles. 
5. — 23d.     Wind   north.     Strong   gales   to  east-southeast; 

ends  moderate;  110  miles. 
6. — 24th.     Wind  southeast,  moderate;  312  miles. 
7.— 25th.     Wind    east-southeast    and     southeast.     Fresh 

breezes  with  thick  weather;  285  miles. 
8. — 26th.     Wind  west-southwest,  moderate;  295  miles. 
9. — 27th.     Wind  west-northwest,  moderate;  260  miles. 
10. — 28th.     Wind  west  and  northwest,  steady  breezes;  306 
miles." 
[The  position  at  noon  on  this  day  was  latitude  52°  38' 
N.,  longitude  22°  45'  W.,  and  here  began  the  greatest  day's 
run  ever  made  by  a  ship  under  canvas.] 
11. — "March  1st.     Wind  south.     Strong  gales;  bore  away 
for  the  North  Channel,  carried  away  the  foretopsail 
and  lost  jib;   hove  the  log  several  times  and  found 
the  ship  going  through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  18 
to    18^/^    knots;    lee    rail    under    water,    and    rigging 
slack.     Distance  run  in  twenty-four  hours,  436  miles. 
12. — 2d.     Wind    south,    first    part    moderate,    latter   part 

light  and  calm. 
13. — 3d.     Light  winds  and  calms. 

14. — 4th.     Light    southeast   winds   and    calms;    at    7   A.M. 
off  Great  Orms  Head;  12  m.  off  the  N.  W.  Lightship." 


278  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

This  was  a  remarkable  passage  considering  the 
percentage  of  easterly  winds,  though  its  memorable 
incident  is,  of  course,  the  phenomenal  run  of  436 
miles  in  twenty-four  hours,  an  average  of  I8I/2 
knots,  which  entitles  the  Lightning  to  the  proud 
distinction  of  being  the  swiftest  ship  that  ever 
sailed  the  seas.  There  was  no  ocean  steamship  of 
her  day  that  approached  her  record  by  less  than 
100  miles,  and  another  five-and-twenty  years  passed 
away  before  the  Atlantic  greyhound,  the  Arizona, 
made  18  knots  for  a  single  hour,  on  her  trial  trip. 
Even  at  the  present  time,  according  to  Lloyd's 
Register,  there  are  not  more  than  thirty  ocean- 
going mail  steamships  afloat,  that  are  able  to  steam 
over  18  knots.  It  must  have  been  blowing  hard 
enough  when  the  Lightning's  jib  and  foretopsail 
carried  away,  for  these  were  not  old,  worn-out  sails, 
put  on  board  to  attract  the  favorable  consideration 
of  underwriters,  but  were  of  new  canvas,  made  un- 
usually strong,  and  had  not  been  out  of  the  sail 
loft  more  than  a  couple  of  weeks. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  the  "  wood  butchers  of 
Liverpool,"  as  Donald  McKay  used  to  call  them, 
were  allowed  to  fill  in  the  concave  lines  of  the 
Lightning's  bow  with  slabs  of  oak  sheathing,  and 
while  she  continued  to  be  a  fast  ship,  she  doubtless 
would  have  proved  still  faster  had  her  original 
design  not  been  tampered  with.^ 

The  second  of  these  ships,  the  Champion  of  the 
Seas,  measured:  length  269  feet,  breadth  45  feet, 
depth  29   feet,   dead-rise  at  half  floor   18   inches; 

1  These  slabs  were  subsequently  removed,  one  side  being 
washed  away. 


Australian  Clippers,  1854-1856       279 

length  of  mainyard  95  feet.  The  concavity  of  her 
water-line  forward  was  2V2  inches,  from  which  it 
will  be  seen  that  she  was  a  differently  designed 
ship  from  the  LigJitning,  She  was  considered  by 
many  to  be  even  a  handsomer  vessel.  Her  stern 
Vv^as  ornamented  with  the  arms  of  Australia,  while  at 
her  bow  she  carried  a  full-length  figurehead  of  a 
handsome  sailorman  rigged  out  in  all  his  best  go- 
ashore  togs.  She  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Alexander  Newlands,  who  came  from  Liverpool  to 
superintend  her  construction  and  equipment,  the 
whole  inside  arrangements  of  the  ship,  including 
the  complicated  plan  for  light  and  ventilation  and 
the  details  of  the  cabin,  being  made  according  to 
his  designs.  After  fitting  out  at  Grand  Junction 
Wharf,  East  Boston,  she  was  towed  to  New  York 
by  the  R,  B.  Forhes,  where  she  loaded  for  Liverpool, 
and  made  the  passage  to  that  port  during  the  month 
of  June,  1854,  in  16  days. 

The  James  Baines  measured:  length  266  feet, 
breadth  46  feet  8  inches,  depth  31  feet,  with  18 
inches  dead-rise  at  half  floor.  Her  mainyard  was 
100  feet  in  length,  and  a  single  suit  of  sails  con- 
tained 13,000  running  yards  of  canvas  18  inches 
wide.  Originally  she  carried  a  main  skysail  only, 
but  later  she  was  fitted  with  three  skysails,  main 
moonsail,  and  skysail  studdingsails,  and  so  far  as 
I  know,  she  was  the  only  clipper  ship  so  rigged. 
There  was  only  a  very  slight  difference  between 
the  lines  of  the  Champion  of  the  Seas  and  those  of 
the  James  Baines,  the  latter  ship  having  a  some- 
what more  raking  stem,  which  brought  her  lines 
out  forward  a  little  longer  and  sharper  above  the 


28o  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

water-line.  Her  bow  was  ornamented  with  a  finely 
executed  bust  of  her  namesake,  which  was  carved 
in  England  and  was  said  to  be  an  excellent  like- 
ness. Across  her  stern  she  carried  a  carved  medal- 
lion of  the  globe,  supported  by  the  arms  of  Great 
Britain  and  the  United  States.  She  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  McDonnell,  late  of  the  Marco 
Polo,  who  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  Boston  soon 
after  his  return  from  Melbourne. 

The  James  Baines  sailed  from  Boston,  September 
12,  1854,  and  made  the  run  from  Boston  Light  to 
the  Rock  Light,  Liverpool,  in  the  record  time  of 
12  days  6  hours.  An  English  correspondent  of  one 
of  the  Boston  papers  remarked :  ''  You  wish  to 
know  what  professional  men  say  about  the  ship 
James  Baines.  Her  unrivalled  passage,  of  course, 
brought  her  prominently  before  the  public,  and  she 
has  already  been  visited  by  many  of  the  most  emi- 
nent mechanics  in  the  country.  She  is  so  strongly 
built,  so  finely  finished,  and  is  of  so  beautiful  a 
model,  that  even  envy  cannot  prompt  a  fault  against 
her.  On  all  hands  she  has  been  praised  as  the 
most  perfect  sailing  ship  that  ever  entered  the  river 
Mersey.'' 

The  last  of  this  quartette,  the  Donald  McKay, 
measured:  length  209  feet,  breadth  47  feet,  depth 
29  feet,  with  18  inches  dead-rise  at  half  floor,  and 
her  mainyard  was  100  feet  long.  While  her  water- 
lines  were  fuller  than  those  of  the  James  Baines, 
she  was  still  an  extremely  sharp  vessel,  and  with 
the  single  exception  of  the  Great  RepiihUc  was  the 
largest  merchant  ship  afloat.  She  sailed  from  Bos- 
ton,   February    21,    1855,    under    the    command    of 


Australian  Clippers,  1854-1856       281 

Captain  Warner,  late  of  the  Sovereign  of  the  Seas, 
and  made  the  run  to  Cape  Clear  in  12  days,  and 
thence  to  Liverpool  in  5  days.  On  February  27th, 
she  ran  421  miles  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  on 
that  date  her  log  records :  "  First  part,  strong 
gales  from  northwest;  middle  blowing  a  hurricane 
from  west-northwest,  ship  scudding  under  topsails 
and  foresail  at  the  rate  of  18  knots;  latter  part, 
still  blowing  from  west-northwest  with  heavy  hail 
squalls ;  very  high  sea  running." 

The  Lightning  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  her  first 
voyage  to  Melbourne,  May  14,  1854.  She  encoun- 
tered light  winds  and  calms  to  the  equator,  which 
she  crossed  in  25  days  from  the  Mersey;  such  was 
the  nature  of  the  winds  that  the  topgallantsails 
were  not  taken  in  during  the  passage,  and  her 
best  day's  runs  were  only  332,  348,  300,  311,  and 
329  miles  on  various  dates.  She  arrived  out  in  77 
days,  but  the  passage  home  to  Liverpool  was  made 
in  the  record  time  of  63  days.  In  ten  consecutive 
days  of  twenty-four  hours  each,  she  sailed  no  less 
than  3722  miles,  her  best  day's  run  being  412  miles. 
On  this  voyage  she  brought  home  gold  and  dust  to 
the  value  of  £1,000,000  sterling. 

The  James  Baines  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  Mel- 
bourne December  9,  1854,  and  made  the  passage  out 
in  the  record  time  of  63  days,  her  best  twenty-four 
hours'  run  being  420  miles.  She  made  the  passage 
home  in  69  days,  thus  sailing  around  the  globe  in 
the  record  time  of  132  days.  On  a  subsequent  voy- 
age in  1856  her  log  records,  "  June  16th.  At  noon 
sighted  a  ship  in  the  distance  ahead;  at  1  p.m. 
alongside  of  her;   at  2  p.m.,  out  of  sight  astern. 


282  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

The  James  Baines  was  going  17  knots  with  main 
skysail  set;  the  Lihertas,  for  such  was  her  name, 
was  under  double-reefed  topsails."  "June  17th.  Lati- 
tude 44°  S.,  longitude  106°  E.,  ship  going  21  knots 
with  main  skysail  set."  This  appears  to  be  the 
highest  rate  of  speed  ever  made  by  a  sailing  vessel 
of  which  any  reliable  record  has  been  preserved. 

The  Champion  of  the  Seas  made  the  passage  out 
in  71  days  and  home  in  84  days,  and  the  Donald 
McKay  made  the  voyage  in  about  the  same  time, 
but  the  Lightning  and  James  Baines  proved  the 
most  famous  of  these  ships.  So  well  pleased  was 
Mr.  Baines  that  he  wrote  to  Mr.  McKay,  saying, 
^*  In  these  ships  you  have  given  us  all  and  more 
than  we  expected."  These  were  the  last  extreme 
clipper  ships  built  by  Donald  McKay. 

During  the  Sepoy  Mutiny  in  1857  a  large  number 
of  British  and  American  merchant  ships  were 
chartered  by  the  British  Government  to  carry  troops 
to  India,  and  among  others  the  James  Baines, 
Champion  of  the  Seas,  and  Lightning.  The  James 
Baines  sailed  from  Portsmouth  for  Calcutta  on 
August  8th,  with  the  Ninety-seventh  Regiment  on 
board,  and  the  Illustrated  London  News,  in  a  no- 
tice of  her  departure,  remarked :  "  Previous  to  her 
starting  she  was  honored  by  a  visit  of  Her  Majesty, 
who  highly  eulogized  the  vessel  and  is  said  to  have 
declared  that  she  was  not  aware  that  so  splendid 
a  merchant  ship  belonged  to  her  dominions." 

The  Champion  of  the  Seas  sailed  from  Portsmouth 
on  the  same  day,  also  bound  for  Calcutta  with 
troops,  and  the  race  between  these  clippers  was 
close   and   exciting.      Nine   days    out   they   fell   in 


w 


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PQ 


iii 


i 


Australian  Clippers,  1854-1856      283 

with  the  steamship  Oneida  homeward  bound,  and 
the  Illustrated  London  News,  again  mentioning  the 
James  Baines,  said :  "  When  met  by  the  Oneida, 
on  the  17th  of  August,  on  her  way  to  Calcutta  with 
troops,  she  presented  a  most  magnificent  appear- 
ance, having  in  addition  to  her  ordinary  canvas, 
studdingsails,  skysails,  and  moonsail,  set  and 
drawing,  in  all  thirty-four  sails,  a  perfect  cloud 
of  canvas:  the  troops  all  well,  and  cheering  lustily 
as  the  vessels  passed  each  other.  The  sister  ship, 
the  Champion  of  the  Seas,  was  not  far  astern,  both 
vessels  making  great  headway." 

These  two  ships  arrived  off  the  mouth  of  the 
Hooghly  together,  each  101  days  from  Portsmouth, 
and  the  finish  of  this  race  was  talked  about  by 
the  Calcutta  pilots  for  a  good  many  years:  how 
these  splendid  clippers  raced  in  from  sea  almost 
side  by  side,  with  a  fresh  three-skysail,  scupper 
breeze,  the  regimental  bands  on  board  of  both  ships 
playing  national  airs,  while  the  soldiers  were  cheer- 
ing and  wild  with  the  joy  and  excitement  of  seeing 
land  once  more. 

The  Lightning  sailed  at  a  more  favorable  season, 
and  made  the  passage  from  Portsmouth  to  the 
Hooghly  in  87  days,  beating  the  entire  fleet  of  sail- 
ing transports,  including  those  fitted  with  auxiliary 
screw  propellers. 

Of  the  large  number  of  ships  bought  or  char- 
tered in  the  United  States  for  the  Australian  trade 
by  British  ship-owners  at  this  period,  those  men- 
tioned, with  the  Red  Rover,  Comet,  Tornado,  Sierra 
Nevada,  and  Invincible,  each  with  a  record  of  less 
than   75   days   from  Liverpool  or  London   to   Mel- 


284  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

bourne,  the  Belle  of  the  Sea,  64  days  from  London 
to  Melbourne,  and  ISforth  Wind,  67  days  from 
London  to  Sydney,  N.  S.  W.,  were  the  most 
celebrated. 

There  were  also  many  American  ships  that  made 
the  voyage  from  New  York  to  Melbourne,  and  among 
the  fast  passages  may  be  mentioned  those  of:  the 
Mandarin,  in  71  days ;  Flying  Scud  and  Nightingale, 
75  days ;  Whirlivind,  80  days ;  Flying  Dutchman  and 
Panama,  81  days;  Snow  Squall,  79  days,  and  Ring- 
leader,  78  days.  Most  if  not  all  these  ships  loaded 
in  R.  W.  Cameron's  line,  and  it  is  worth  noting 
that,  of  all  the  great  shipping  firms  that  flourished 
in  New  York  half  a  century  ago,  this  is  the  only 
one  which  now  survives. 

It  was  only  natural  that  ship-owners  of  Great 
Britain  should  feel  keenly  the  invasion  of  their 
trade  by  the  American  clippers,  and  in  1855,  James 
Baines  &  Co.  placed  an  order  with  Alexander  Hall 
&  Co.,  of  Aberdeen,  then  the  leading  clipper  ship- 
builders in  Great  Britain,  for  a  large  clipper  ship 
for  the  Australian  trade,  to  "  outdo  the  Ameri- 
cans." This  vessel  was  the  Schomherg,  2600  tons; 
length  262  feet,  breadth  45  feet,  depth  29  feet  She 
was  very  sharp  forward  and  had  a  long,  clean  run, 
with  considerable  dead-rise  at  her  midship  section. 
She  was  built  of  wood  and  heavily  sparred,  with 
single  topsail  yards  and  three  skysails. 

When  this  ship  came  around  from  Aberdeen  to 
load  at  Liverpool  for  Melbourne,  she  was  greatly 
admired  and  it  was  generally  believed  that  she 
would  prove  faster  than  her  American  rivals,  espe- 
cially as  Captain  Forbes,  late  of  the  Marco  Polo 


Australian  Clippers,  1854-1856      285 

and  Lightning,  had  been  appointed  to  command  her. 
She  sailed  from  Liverpool  on  October  6,  1855.  Cap- 
tain Forbes  was  a  proud  man  that  day,  for  the 
pierheads  of  the  port  were  thronged  with  a  patri- 
otic, cheering  crowd  to  see  the  Schomherg  off,  and 
as  she  towed  down  the  Mersey,  the  signals  reading, 
"  Sixty  days  to  Melbourne,"  fluttered  gayly  from  her 
mizen  truck. 

She  had  moderate  winds  to  the  equator,  which 
she  crossed  28  days  from  the  Mersey,  and  then 
drifted  into  calms  and  light  airs  which  continued 
for  ten  days  and  from  which  she  did  not  possess 
the  nimble  speed  to  extricate  herself.  Her  best 
day's  work,  while  running  her  easting  down,  was 
368  miles.  When  81  days  out  she  was  wrecked  and 
became  a  total  loss  on  an  uncharted  reef  about 
150  miles  to  the  westward  of  Melbourne,  the  pas- 
sengers, crew,  and  mails  being  saved.  This  was 
by  no  means  a  record  passage,  and  it  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  her  career  was  so  short,  as  it  would 
be  interesting  to  know  what  she  might  have  done 
under  more  favorable  conditions.  She  certainly 
possessed  the  qualities  of  a  fast  ship,  and  was  ably 
commanded. 

There  were  also  many  fine  ships  of  English  build 
sailing  out  of  London  in  the  Australian  trade;  the 
Norfolk  and  Lincolnshire,  built  and  owned  by 
Money,  Wigram  &  Sons;  the  Kent,  Trafalgar,  and 
Renown,  built  and  owned  by  R.  &  H.  Green;  and 
many  others.  These  ships  were  built  of  teak,  oak, 
and  elm;  were  copper-fastened  and  sheathed  with 
red  copper.  They  resembled  smart  frigates  more 
than  merchantmen,  and  were  about  the  perfection 


286  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

of  that  type — splendid  ships  to  be  at  sea  in,  though 
not  so  fast  as  the  sharper  American  clippers.  None 
of  these  vessels  was  over  1500  tons,  and  it  was 
thought  by  shipping  men  in  London  and  Liverpool 
that  much  of  the  speed  of  the  American  ships  was 
due  to  their  greater  tonnage.  There  may  have  been 
some  truth  in  this,  but  it  should  be  remembered  that 
with  these  large  wooden  vessels  an  increase  in  size 
made  the  difficulties  in  building  greater,  as  well 
as  in  getting  their  wooden  masts  to  stand  with 
hemp  rigging,  to  say  nothing  of  handling  their 
enormous  single  topsails  in  heavy  weather. 

Meanwhile  attempts  were  being  made  by  various 
companies  to  introduce  steam  in  place  of  the  clipper 
ships  that  had  carried  the  passengers,  mails,  and 
specie  after  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Australia,  but 
these  efforts  were  beset  with  many  difficulties  and 
heavy  financial  losses. 

The  Australian^  an  iron  screw  steamer  of  2000 
tons,  was  the  first  steamship  to  carry  the  mails 
from  England  to  Melbourne.  She  sailed  from 
Plymouth,  June  5,  1852,  and  called  at  St.  Vincent, 
St.  Helena,  Table  Bay,  and  St.  George's  Sound  for 
coal,  which  had  been  sent  out  by  ship  from  Eng- 
land to  meet  her.  She  arrived  at  Melbourne  in  89 
days  from  Plymouth,  and  returned  by  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  in  76  days.  She  arrived  at  London, 
January  11,  1853,  having  been  7  months  and  6  days 
upon  the  voyage,  a  creditable  but  not  a  very  bril- 
liant performance.  The  Australian  was  soon  fol- 
lowed by  the  Great  Britain,  Adelaide,  Queen  of 
the  South,  Sydney,  Cleopatra,  Antelope,  and  other 
iron  screw  steamers ;  but  these  vessels  nearly  ruined 


bO 


Australian  Clippers,  1854-1856        287 

their  owners  and  did  not  greatly  interfere  with  the 
clippers. 

In  1854  the  Argo^  a  full-rigged  iron  ship  of  1850 
tons  register,  with  plenty  of  canvas  and  fitted  with 
an  auxiliary  engine  and  screw,  made  the  passage 
from  London  to  Melbourne  in  64  days  and  home 
round  Cape  Horn  in  63  days;  and  though  she  sailed 
during  the  greater  portion  of  the  voyage,  using  her 
engines  only  in  calms  and  light  winds,  she  was  the 
first  merchant  vessel  using  steam-power  to  circum- 
navigate the  globe.  This  voyage  is  peculiarly 
adapted  to  auxiliary  steam  vessels,  as,  by  following 
the  sailing-ship  track,  very  few  strong  head  winds 
are  met,  and  of  course  the  screw  is  of  great  assist- 
ance in  light  winds  and  calms. 

The  Argo  was  followed  (1855-1856)  by  the  Royal 
Charter,  Istamhoul,  and  Khersonese  and  other  iron 
auxiliary  "  steam  clippers,"  as  they  were  called. 
These  vessels  carried  as  much  canvas  as  the  clipper 
ships,  and  were  more  expensive  to  handle  and  not 
much  faster;  the  rivalry  was  therefore  keen.  The 
clippers  still  secured  their  full  share  of  the  cabin 
and  steerage  passengers,  the  mails  and  gold,  and 
were  by  no  means  vanquished;  indeed,  the  auxil- 
iaries proved  no  more  successful  than  the  steam- 
ships, and  brought  much  the  same  result  to  their 
owners. 

It  was  not  till  after  the  close  of  the  Crimean 
War  in  1856,  when  the  Peninsular  &  Oriental  Steam 
Navigation  Company  extended  their  line  to  the 
Australian  colonies,  that  the  clipper  ships  began 
seriously  to  feel  the  competition  of  steam.  From 
that  time  iron  sailing  vessels  for  this  trade  were 


288  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

built  with  a  view  to  carrying  large  cargoes  and 
steerage  passengers,  so  that  by  1860  the  day  of  the 
Australian  clippers  had  passed  away,  although  the 
later  China  tea-clippers  sometimes  made  this  voy- 
age. Almost  countless  splendid  iron  and  steel  sail- 
ing ships  have  since  been  built  in  Great  Britain, 
and  many  fine  passages  have  been  made  to  and 
from  Australia,  yet  the  records  of  the  James  Baines, 
North  Wind,  Lightning,  Mandarin,  and  Lord  of  the 
Isles  remain  unbroken. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

LAST    YEARS    OF    THE    AMERICAN     CLIPPER    SHIP    ERA — 
SUMMARY    OF    CALIFORNIA    PASSAGES 

DURING  the  Crimean  War  a  large  number  of 
merchant  ships,  many  of  which  were  Ameri- 
can, were  chartered  by  the  British  and  French 
Governments  to  carry  troops,  but  when  peace  was 
declared  in  1856  and  this  demand  for  tonnage  ceased, 
it  was  found  that  there  were  more  ships  afloat  than 
could  find  profitable  employment,  or  indeed  em- 
ployment of  any  kind. 

Only  eight  ships  were  added  to  the  California 
fleet  in  1856 — the  Alarm,  Euterpe,  Flying  Mist,  Flor- 
ence, Intrepid,  Mary  L.  Sutton,  Norseman,  and  the 
second  Witch  of  the  Wave.  These  were  all  hand- 
some medium  clippers,  and  possessed  what  is  so 
sadly  lacking  in  sailing  ships  of  the  present  day 
— style,  distinction.  The  Florence  was  built  by 
Samuel  Hall,  Jr.,  who  had  succeeded  his  father  as 
a  ship-builder  and  continued  in  the  same  yard  at 
East  Boston.  She  was  owned  by  Captain  R.  B. 
Forbes  and  others  of  Boston.  Captain  Dumaresq 
commanded  her  and  also  owned  an  interest  in  her 
until  his  death  in  1860.  As  Captain  Forbes  used 
to  say,  "  He  was  the  prince  of  sea  captains." 

The  Sweepstakes  made  the  fastest  passage  to  San 
19  289 


290  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Francisco  in  1856 — 94  days  from  New  York — fol- 
lowed by  the  Antelope,  97  days;  Phantom,  101  days; 
and  David  Brown,  103  days;  the  Ringleader'  made 
the  passage  from  Boston  in  100  days.  The  abstract 
log  of  the  Sweepstakes  is  as  follows: 

From   Sandy  Hook  to  the   equator....  18  days. 

From  the  equator  to   50°    S 23      " 

From  50°  in  the  Atlantic  to  50°  in  the 

Pacific 15      " 

From  50°   S.  to  the  equator 17      " 

From  the  equator  to  San  Francisco 21      " 

Total 94      " 

The  year  1857  was  one  of  financial  depression 
throughout  the  United  States,  which  was  severely 
felt  by  the  shipping  interests  of  the  country  and 
continued  until  the  Civil  War.  The  rates  of  freight 
from  New  York  to  San  Francisco,  which  during 
the  years  immediately  following  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  California  were  |60  a  ton,  gradually  de- 
clined, and  in  1857  had  fallen  to  |10  per  ton.  Ships 
that  had  formerly  loaded  cargoes  for  San  Francisco 
night  and  day  and  were  hurried  to  sea  as  quickly 
as  possible,  now  lay  at  their  loading  berths  for 
weeks,  leisurely  taking  on  board  such  cargo  as  their 
agents  could  engage.  During  this  period  vessels 
lay  idle  at  the  wharves  of  Atlantic  ports  for  weeks 
and  even  months,  in  charge  of  ship-keepers,  with 
sails  unbent,  waiting  for  employment. 

The  former  activity  in  the  ship-building  yards 
had  also  subsided.  During  the  four  years  prior  to 
the  Civil  War,  Donald  McKay  built  only  one  ship, 


Summary  of  California  Passages    291 

the  Alhamhra  (1857),  and  William  H.  Webb  built 
only  one  ship  for  the  California  trade,  the  Black 
Eaioh,  beside  the  Resolute,  and  the  barque  Trieste 
(1857),  and  the  barque  Harvest  Queen  (1858). 
The  same  depression  was  felt  in  all  the  yards  along 
the  Atlantic  coast.  British  ship-builders  had  made 
such  rapid  progress  in  the  construction  and  speed 
of  their  vessels  that  it  was  now  difficult  for  Ameri- 
can ships  to  obtain  charters  from  China  to  England. 
From  1857  to  1861,  they  were  to  be  found  lying 
idle  for  months  at  a  time  in  Manila  Bay,  Hong-kong 
harbor,  Foo-chow,  Shanghai,  and  Calcutta,  seeking 
employment. 

The  depression  in  the  oversea  carrying  trade  was 
felt  quite  as  much  by  the  ship-owners  of  Great 
Britain  as  by  those  of  the  United  States,  and  while 
of  short  duration,  was  as  serious  there  as  in  the 
United  States.  It  was  at  this  period,  however,  that 
Great  Britain  began  to  feel  the  benefit  of  Free 
Trade  in  her  ship-building  industry,  and  entered 
upon  her  conquest  of  the  world's  oversea  carrying 
trade.  In  this  her  ship-builders  were  greatly  as- 
sisted by  the  introduction  of  iron  as  a  material  for 
construction.  In  1855  the  Committee  of  Lloyd's 
Register  had  framed  rules  for  the  classification  of 
iron  ships,  as  their  number  had  so  increased,  and 
the  demand  of  ship-owners  for  their  official  recog- 
nition had  become  so  general,  that  they  could  no 
longer  be  ignored.  The  screw  propeller  was  also 
beginning  to  supersede  side-wheels  as  a  means  of 
propulsion,  and  some  of  the  ablest  men  in  Great 
Britain  were  engaged  upon  the  development  and 
improvement  of  the  marine  engine  and  boiler. 


292  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

The  steam  tonnage  of  the  British  Empire — mostly 
engaged  in  the  oversea  carrying  trade — had  in- 
creased from  204,654  tons  in  1851  to  417,717  tons 
in  1856,  whereas  the  steam  tonnage  of  the  United 
States  engaged  in  the  oversea  carrying  trade  had 
increased  from  62,390  tons  in  1851  to  115,045  tons 
in  1855,  but  had  decreased  to  89,715  tons  in  1856. 
It  should  be  noted  that  while  a  large  proportion 
of  the  steam  tonnage  of  Great  Britain  consisted 
of  iron  vessels,  many  of  them  being  screw  steamers, 
the  steam  vessels  of  the  United  States  were  very 
nearly,  if  not  all,  still  constructed  of  wood  and 
propelled  by  side-wheels. 

The  first  symptoms  of  the  decadence  of  the 
American  merchant  marine  were  the  falling-off  in 
the  sales  of  American  tonnage  to  foreign  countries 
— the  reduction  being  from  65,000  tons  in  1855  to 
42,000  tons  in  1856,  declining  to  26,000  tons  in  1858 
and  to  17,000  tons  in  1860,  a  falling-off  of  75%  in 
five  years — then  in  the  total  tonnage  of  vessels  built 
in  the  United  States,  which  fell  from  583,450  tons 
in  1855  to  469,393  tons  in  1856,  and  to  378,804 
tons  in  1857. 

These  facts  refute  the  historic  falsehood  that  the 
Alabama  and  her  consorts  were  the  first  and  im- 
mediate cause  of  decadence  in  the  American  mer- 
chant marine.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  neither  the 
depression  preceding  the  Civil  War,  nor  X^^  <^6* 
predations  of  Confederate  privateers,  nor  the  Civil 
War  itself,  have  had  any  material  bearing  upon 
the  decline  of  American  shipping  during  the  last 
fifty  years.  The  gigantic  task  of  driving  the 
American  flag  from  the  ocean  has  been  accomplished 


Summary  of  California  Passages    293 

by  far  more  insidious  and  potent  means  than  these. 
It  has  been  the  Inevitable  consequence  of  irrational 
and  unjust  laws,  and  until  these  are  repealed,  as 
those  of  Great  Britain  were  in  1849,  we  may  hope 
in  vain  that  the  ensign  of  the  United  States  will 
be  restored  to  its  place  upon  the  sea. 

Amid  the  discouraging  conditions  of  these  years 
preceding  the  Civil  War,  American  sea-captains 
never  lost  faith  in  their  ships  nor  in  themselves. 
They  seemed  to  think,  the  lower  the  rate  of  freight, 
the  more  reason  that  it  should  be  earned  quickly, 
and  when  once  clear  of  the  disheartening  influences 
of  a  seaport  and  well  off  soundings,  they  sent  their 
ships  along  with  the  same  energy  and  skill  for 
which  they  had  become  famous  in  more  prosperous 
days. 

It  was  in  the  year  1857  that  the  Great  Republic 
made  her  remarkable  passage  of  92  days  from  New 
York  to  San  Francisco^  and  established  a  new  re- 
cord of  16  days  from  Sandy  Hook  to  the  equator. 
She  was  still  commanded  by  Captain  Limeburner, 
who  had  as  his  first  officer,  Montgomery  Parker,  an 
accomplished  seaman  and  navigator,  afterward  com- 
mander of  the  ships  Judge  Shaw  and  Lord  Lynd- 
hurst.  The  crew  of  50  men  before  the  mast  were 
the  usual  assortment,  15  or  20  good  seamen,  the 
rest  adventurers  and  mongrels  of  various  brands, 
of  whom  little  could  be  expected.  Captain  Lime- 
burner  and  his  officers  always  went  armed,  and  it 
was  perhaps  fortunate,  with  such  a  crew,  that  the 
topgallantsails  were  never  clewed  up  during  the 
passage,  and  that  Cape  Horn  was  rounded  with 
skysails  set. 


294  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

The   abstract   log   of   the   Great   Republic   is    as 
follows : 

From  Sandy  Hook  to  the  equator 16  days. 

From  the  equator  to  50°   S 25      " 

From  50°   S.  in  the  Atlantic  to  50°   S. 

in  the  Pacific 9      " 

From  50°  S.  to  the  equator 23      " 

From  the  equator  to  San  Francisco 19      " 

Total 92      " 


Lieutenant  Maury,  in  a  letter  on  the  subject  to 
the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  remarks :  "  This  vessel 
did  not  have  the  luck  to  get  a  wind  that  could 
keep  her  up  to  her  mettle  for  twenty-four  hours 
consecutively.  Here  and  there  she  got  into  favor- 
able streaks  of  wind,  but  she  appears  to  have  run 
out  of  them  faster  than  they  could  follow.  She 
made  the  run  to  San  Francisco  in  92  days. 

"  The  shortest  passage  that  in  the  present  state 
of  ship-building  will  probably  ever  be  made  from 
New  York  to  San  Francisco,  is  85  days;  and  the 
very  clever  first  officer  of  this  ship,  writing  from 
California,  expresses  the  opinion  that  ^  should  she 
continue  to  run  between  New  York  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, from  the  experience  of  this  voyage,  she  will 
one  day  make  the  trip  within  your  possible  85  days.' 

"  The  friends  of  this  noble  specimen  of  naval 
architecture,  however,  can  scarcely  hope  for  a  fair 
trial  and  proper  display  of  her  prowess  until  she 
shall  be  sent  on  a  voyage  to  Australia.  The  brave 
west  winds  of  the  Southern  hemisphere,  which  she 
will  then  encounter,  will  enable  her  to  show  her- 


Summary  of  California  Passages   295 

self;  elsewhere,  she  can  scarcely  find  a  sea  wide 
enough,  with  belts  of  wind  broad  enough  for  the 
full  display  of  her  qualities  and  capabilities." 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  with  her  original 
spars  and  sail  plan,  the  Great  Republic  would  have 
made  this  passage  in  85  days  or  less,  and  it  is  to 
be  regretted  that,  even  with  her  reduced  rig,  she 
never  made  a  voyage  between  England  and 
Australia,  the  service  for  which  she  was  built  and 
especially  adapted.  Her  best  twenty-four  hours' 
run,  made  upon  a  subsequent  voyage  while  under 
the  command  of  Captain  Josiah  Paul,  was  413 
miles. 

In  1857  the  Flying  Dragon  made  the  passage  to 
San  Francisco  in  97  days;  the  Westward  Ho  and 
the  Andreio  Jackson  in  100  days,  both  from  New 
York ;  and  the  Flying  Fish  in  106  days  from  Boston. 
In  1858  the  Twilight  made  the  passage  from  New 
York  in  100  days ;  the  Andreio  Jackson  in  103  days ; 
and  in  1859  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  97  days  and  the 
Andrew  Jackson  in  102  days.  In  1860  the  Andreio 
Jackson  made  the  trip  in  89  days. 

As  before  noted,  the  Andrew  Jackson  was  built 
in  1855.  Her  builders  were  Irons  &  Grinnell,  of 
Mystic,  Connecticut;  she  was  owned  by  J.  H. 
Brower  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  and  was  commanded 
by  Captain  John  E.  Williams,  of  Mystic.  She  was 
1679  tons  register  and  measured:  length  222  feet, 
breadth  40  feet,  depth  22  feet,  and  while  not  an 
extreme  clipper,  she  was  a  very  handsome,  well- 
designed  ship.  She  was  heavily  sparred  and  carried 
double  topsails,  skysails,  and  royal  studdingsails. 
Her    figurehead    was    a    full-length    statue    of   the 


296  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

famous  warrior  and  statesman  in  whose  honor  she 
was  named. 

Upon  Captain  Williams's  arrival  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, in  89  days  from  New  York,  he  was  presented 
with  a  Commodore's  pennant,  and  on  his  return  to 
New  York  the  owners  presented  him  with  a  valu- 
able chronometer  watch  bearing  the  following  in- 
scription :  "  Presented  by  J.  H.  Brower  &  Co.  to 
Captain  J.  E.  Williams  of  the  clipper  ship  Andrew 
Jackson  for  the  shortest  passage  to  San  Francisco. 
Time  89  days  4  hours,  1860." 

With  this  superb  record  by  the  Andrew  Jackson 
— four  consecutive  passages  averaging  98^/^  days 
each — the  American  clipper  ship  era  may  well  bring 
its  brilliant  career  to  a  close. 

It  would  be  invidious,  even  if  it  were  possible,  to 
name  the  fastest  of  the  splendid  fleet  of  California 
clippers  which  sailed  during  the  years  1850-1860, 
as  their  voyages  were  made  in  different  years  and 
at  different  seasons  of  the  year;  still,  a  comparison 
of  their  records  is  of  interest. 

Eighteen  ships  made  single  passages  of  less  than 
100  days  from  New  York  or  Boston  to  San  Fran- 
cisco during  this  period.  The  Flying  Cloud  and 
Andrew  Jackson  share  the  honor  of  89  days  each, 
and  are  closely  followed  by  the  ^icord  Fish,  90 
days;  Flying  Fish  and  Great  RepuMic,  92  days; 
John  Gilpin,  93  days;  Sweepstakes,  94  days;  Sur- 
prise and  Romance  of  the  Seas,  96  days;  Sea  Witch, 
Contest,  Antelope,  Sierra  Nevada,  Flying  Dragon, 
and  Witchcraft,  97  days;  Flying  Fish  and  David 
Brotvn,  98  days,  and  Herald  of  the  Morning  and 
Burricane,  99  days  each. 


Summary  of  California  Passages    297 

Four  of  these  ships,  the  Flying  Cloud,  Flying 
Fish,  Great  Repuhlic,  and  Romance  of  the  Seas, 
were  built  by  Donald  McKay,  and  two  of  the  four, 
the  Flying  Cloud  and  Flying  Fish,  each  came  within 
the  limit  twice.  Two  others,  the  John  Gilpin  and 
Surprise,  were  built  by  Samuel  Hall,  and  two,  the 
Contest  and  Stvecpstakes,  by  Jacob  A.  Westervelt, 
with  one  ship  each  by  other  builders.  Beside  Cap- 
tain Creesy  of  the  Flying  Cloud  and  Captain 
Nickels  of  the  Flying  Fish,  Captain  Dumaresq  also 
made  the  passage  twice  in  less  than  100  days,  in 
command    of   the   Surprise    and    Romance    of    the 


For  an  average  of  the  two  fastest  passages  by 
one  ship,  the  record  of  the  Flying  Cloud — two  in 
89  days  each — stands  at  the  head.  The  others  are : 
the  Andrew  Jackson,  98  and  100 — 94I/2  days;  Fly- 
ing Fish,  92  and  98 — 95  days;  Sword-Fish,  90  and 
105—971/2  days;  David  Brown,  98  and  103— lOli/g 
days ;  Westward  Ho,  100  and  103—1011/2  days ;  Sea 
Witch,  97  and  108— IO21/2  days;  Contest,  108  and 
97—1021/2  days;  Herald  of  the  Morning,  99  and  106 
—1021/0;  Phantom,  101  and  104—1021/2  days;  John 
Gilj)in,  93  and  115 — 104  days ;  Romance  of  the  Seas, 
96  and  113—1041/2  days;  Ringleader,  100  and  109 
— IO4I/2  days;  Sweepstakes,  94  and  116 — 105  days; 
Flying  Dutchman,  104  and  106 — 105  days;  Flying 
Dragon,  97  and  114 — 105%  days;  Surprise,  96  and 
116—106  days;  Young  America,  105  and  109—107 
days;  Neptune's  Car,  100  and  112—106;  Eagle,  103 
and  111—107  days;  Comet,  103  and  112— IO71/2 
days;  Golden  Gate,  102  and  113— IO71/2  days; 
Golden  City,  105  and  113—109  days;  Flyaway,  106 


298  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

and  112—109  days;  Sea  Serpent,  107  and  112— IO91/2 
days;  Shooting  Star,  105  and  115 — 110  days. 

The  fastest  three  passages  in  1850-1860  were 
made  by  the  Flying  Cloud,  80,  89,  105—94  1/3 
days;  Andrew  Jackson,  89,  100,  102 — 97  days;  Fly- 
ing Fish,  92,  98,  105—98  1/3  days;  Westward  Ho, 
103,  106,  100—103  days;  Sword-Fish,  90,  105,  116 
—103  2/3  days ;  Sea  Witch,  97,  108,  110—105  days ; 
Young  America,  105,  107,  110 — 107  1/3  days;  Sur- 
prise, 96,  116,  117—109  2/3  days;  Sea  Serpent,  107, 
112,  115—111  1/3  days. 

The  best  four  passages  were  made  by  the  Flying 
Cloud,  89,  89,  105,  108—97  %  days;  Andrew  Jack- 
son, 89,  100,  102,  103—98  1/2  days;  Flying  Fish,  92, 
98,  105,  106—100  14  days. 

By  dividing  this  great  race-course  into  sections, 
a  further  comparison  of  the  relative  speed  of  the 
clipper  ships  may  be  obtained.  Thus  the  following 
separate  runs  were  made  during  the  years  in 
question : 

From  Sandy  Hook  to  the  equator:  Great  Re- 
puhlic,  16  days;  Flying  Cloud,  Northern  Light,  Sea 
Serpent,  Storin  (barque).  White  Swallow,  17  days; 
Adelaide,  Jacob  Bell,  Surprise,  Sweepstakes,  18 
days;  Atlanta,  Flying  Fish,  Golden  Gate,  Hornet, 
Samuel  Russell,  Tingqua,  19  days;  Archer,  Ante- 
lope, Climax,  Courier,  Comet,  David  Broivn,  Hazard, 
Sirocco,  Tornado,  White  Squall,  20  days.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1858,  the  Stag  Hound,  commanded  by  Captain 
Hussey,  made  the  run  from  Boston  Light  to  the 
equator  in  the  phenomenal  time  of  13  days,  eclips- 
ing all  records. 

From  Cape  St.  Roque  to  50°  S. :  Samuel  Russell, 


Summary  of  California  Passages     299 

16  days ;  Hornet,  Ocean  Pearl,  17  days ;  Bald  Eagle, 
Comet,  Electric,  Hurricane,  Ocean  Express,  Raven, 
18  days ;  Electric  Spark,  Galatea,  Governor  Morton, 
John  Gilpin,  Sovereign  of  the  Seas,  Sword-Fish, 
Witch  of  the  Wave,  19  days;  Aurora,  Flying  Fish, 
Golden  Gate,  John  Wade,  Mandarin,  North  America, 
Panama,  Ringleader,  Seaman,  Sea  Witch,  Skylark, 
Trade  Wind,  20  days. 

From  50°  S.  in  the  Atlantic  to  50°  S.  in  the 
Pacific:  Young  America,  6  days;  Flying  Fish,  Fly- 
ing Cloud,  Robin  Hood,  7  days;  Flying  Dutchman 
(twice),  Herald  of  the  Morning,  Stag  Hound,  Sword- 
Fish,  8  days ;  Mary  L.  Sutton,  Sovereign  of  the  Seas, 
Great  Repiiblic,  9  days;  Atlanta,  Golden  City,  Hor- 
net, Snap  Dragon  (barque),  Sweepstakes,  Typhoon, 
Whistler,  10  days. 

From  50°  S.  in  the  Pacific  to  the  equator:  Live 
Yankee,  Mary  L,  Sutton,  16  days;  Flying  Cloud, 
Sweepstakes,  17  days;  Celestial,  Eagle,  Hurricane, 
John  Bertram,  Surprise,  Young  America,  18  days; 
Belle  of  the  West,  Courser,  Don  Quixote,  Flying 
Dutchman  (twice).  Flying  Fish,  Mermaid,  Nep- 
tune's Car,  Ocean  Telegraph,  Sirocco,  Starlight, 
Sword-Fish,  Wild  Pigeon,  Winged  Arroiv,  19  days; 
Alarm,  Archer,  Electric,  Flying  Dragon,  Golden 
Eagle,  John  Gilpin,  Malay,  Stag  Hound,  Starr  King, 
Syren,  Shooting  Star,  Telegraph,  Unknown,  20  days. 

From  the  equator  to  San  Francisco:  White 
Squall,  14  days;  Flying  Cloud,  John  Gilpin,  Phan- 
tom, 15  days;  Antelope,  Comet,  Contest,  Flying 
Dutchman,  Game-Cock,  Trade  Wind,  16  days; 
Aurora,  Flying  Fish  (twice),  Sovereign  of  the  Seas, 
Surprise,  Young  America,  17  days ;  Cleopatra,  Chal- 


300  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

lenge.  Golden  City,  John  Bertram,  Samuel  Apple- 
ton,  Seaman,  Sea  Witch,  Staffordshire,  Typhoon, 
Westward  Ho,  Winged  Arroio,  18  days ;  Bald  Eagle, 
Boston  Light,  Defender,  Eagle,  Electric,  Golden 
Eagle,  Great  Republic,  Hornet,  N.  B,  Palmer,  Wild 
Pigeon,  19  days;  Celestial,  Cyclone,  Eureka,  Gov- 
ernor Morton,  Herald  of  the  Morning,  Intrepid, 
Living  Age,  Ocean  Telegraph,  Raven,  Samuel  Rus- 
sell, Sparlcling  Wave,  Sivord-Fish,  20  days. 

These  records  indicate  the  remarkable  sailing 
qualities  of  the  clipper  ships,  for,  if  the  quickest 
single  runs  are  added  together — the  Stag  Hound's 
13  days  from  Boston  Light  to  the  equator  with  an 
allowance  of  2  days  for  the  run  from  the  equator 
to  Cape  St.  Roque;  the  Samuel  RusselVs  16  days 
from  Cape  St.  Roque  to  50°  S. ;  the  Young  America's 
6  days  from  50°  S.  in  the  Atlantic  to  50°  S.  in  the 
Pacific;  the  Live  Yankee's  and  Mary  L.  Sutton's  16 
days  from  50°  S.  to  the  equator;  and  the  White 
Squall's  14  days  from  the  equator  to  San  Francisco 
— we  find  that  these  six  ships  sailed  long  distances 
at  the  rate  of  a  passage  of  67  days  from  Boston 
Light  to  San  Francisco,  or  22  days  less  than  the 
record  of  the  Flying  Cloud  and  Andrew  Jackson — 
89  days.  Yet  no  one  of  the  six  ships  which  made 
these  splendid  runs  made  the  passage  from  an 
Atlantic  port  to  San  Francisco  in  less  than  100 
days. 

The  records  of  the  other  ships  are  even  more  re- 
markable, for  allowing  20  days  as  the  outside  limit 
of  the  four  longer  runs,  with  10  days  from  50°  S. 
in  the  Atlantic  to  50°  S.  in  the  Pacific  and  2  days 
from  the  equator  to  Cape  St.  Roque,  we  find  that 


Summary  of  California  Passages     301 

uo  less  than  157  runs  were  made  over  distances 
of  thousands  of  miles,  most  of  them  considerably 
within  an  average  rate  of  92  days  from  Sandy  Hook 
to  San  Francisco,  or  well  within  3  days  of  the 
fastest  record  time.  These  records  prove,  if  proof 
were  needed,  that  the  reputation  of  American  clipper 
ships  for  speed  does  not  rest  upon  the  fast  pas- 
sages of  a  few  ships,  but  is  based  upon  the  estab- 
lished records  of  many  swift  vessels. 

Judged  by  any  standard  of  beauty,  the  American 
clipper  ships  were  handsome,  noble-looking  vessels. 
During  the  past  fifty  years  I  have  seen  many  fleets 
of  men-of-war  and  merchant  ships,  besides  naval 
reviews,  and  at  various  times  the  squadrons  of 
yachts  that  gather  each  summer  in  Cowes  Roads 
and  Newport  Harbor,  but  I  have  never  seen  a  col- 
lection of  vessels  which  could  compare  in  stately 
beauty  with  the  fleet  of  American  clipper  ships 
which  lay  in  the  harbor  of  Hong-kong  during  the 
autumn  of  1858. 

The  American  clippers  were  all  built  of  wood 
and  their  hulls  were  painted  black  from  the  metal 
up,  though  the  Invlnci'ble  carried  a  crimson  stripe, 
and  the  Challenge,  N.  B.  Palmer,  Sweepstakes,  and 
perhaps  two  or  three  others,  a  stripe  of  gold.  Their 
yards  and  bowsprits  were  usually  painted  black, 
the  lower  masts  white  to  the  tops,  with  the  tops 
and  doublings  above  scraped  bright  and  varnished, 
but  the  Challenge,  Young  America,  and  Mandarin 
carried  black  lower  masts,  and  a  few  other  ships 
kept  their  lower  masts  bright. 

Many  of  their  figureheads  were  of  considerable 
artistic  excellence,  being  designed  by  skilful  artists, 


302  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

some  of  whom  have  already  been  mentioned.  The 
Romance  of  the  Seas  carried  the  full-length  figure 
of  an  ancient  navigator,  whose  original  might 
have  stood  on  the  high  poop  of  Magellan's  flag-ship, 
with  head  bent  forward  and  right  hand  raised  to 
shade  his  eager  eyes,  as  he  gazed  upon  an  unknown 
land  in  an  uncharted  sea.  The  Sea  Serpent  carried 
a  long  slender  serpent,  whose  life-like,  slimy-looking 
body,  picked  out  in  shades  of  green  and  gold,  sug- 
gested his  recent  escape  from  the  waters  of  one 
of  the  summer  resorts  along  the  Atlantic  coast. 
The  Nightingale  carried  a  beautiful  bust  of  Jenny 
Lind,  for  whom  she  was  named.  The  Panama  car- 
ried at  her  bow  a  nude,  full-length  figure  of  a 
beautiful  woman  with  arms  extended,  pure  white 
and  of  great  artistic  merit,  perhaps  the  most  beauti- 
ful figurehead  ever  carried  by  a  ship.  The  Flying 
Fish  carried  a  fish  on  the  wing,  of  life-like  color 
and  giving  a  vivid  sense  of  speed;  the  Witchcraft, 
a  grim  Salem  witch  riding  upon  her  aerial  broom- 
stick; the  Game-Cock,  a  fighting  bird  with  out- 
stretched neck  and  head,  apparently  eager  for 
combat ;  the  Northern  Light,  the  full-length  figure  of 
an  angelic  creature  in  flowing  white  drapery,  one 
graceful  arm  extended  above  her  head,  and  bearing 
in  her  slender  hand  a  torch  with  golden  flame. 

One  of  the  most  striking  figureheads  was  the 
tall  square-built  sailor,  with  dark  curly  hair  and 
bronzed  clean-shaven  face,  who  stood  at  the  bow 
of  the  Champion  of  the  Seas.  A  black  belt  with 
a  massive  brass  buckle  supported  his  white  trou- 
sers, which  were  as  tight  about  the  hips  as  the 
skin  of  an  eel,  and  had  wide,  bell-shaped  bottoms 


Summary  of  California  Passages    303 

that  almost  hid  his  black  polished  pumps.  He  wore 
a  loose-fitting  blue-and-white-checked  shirt,  with 
wide,  rolling  collar,  and  black  neck  handkerchief 
of  ample  size,  tied  in  the  most  rakish  of  square 
knots  with  long  flowing  ends.  But  perhaps  the 
most  impressive  of  this  mariner's  togs  were  his 
dark-blue  jacket,  and  the  shiny  tarpaulin  hat  which 
he  waved  aloft  in  the  grip  of  his  brawny,  tattooed 
right  hand.  The  only  exception  that  one  could 
possibly  take  to  this  stalwart  sailorman  was  that 
his  living  prototype  was  likely  to  be  met  with  so 
very  seldom  in  real  life.  There  were  many  other 
figureheads  that  might  be  mentioned,  but  these  are 
best  remembered. 

In  those  days  New  York  was  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  picturesque  seaports  of  the  world; 
the  water-front  was  lined  with  majestic  clippers, 
stately  Indiamen,  and  noble  packet  ships,  their 
American  ensigns  and  well-known  house  flags  of 
many  brilliant  colors  floating  in  the  breeze.^     The 

1  The  following  are  some  of  these  house  flags :  The 
crimson  field  and  black  ball,  of  Charles  H.  Marshall;  the 
red,  white,  and  blue  swallowtail,  of  Grinnell,  Minturn  & 
Co. ;  the  yellow,  red,  and  yellow  horizontal  bars  with  white 
"L"  in  centre,  of  A.  A.  Low  &  Brother;  the  thirteen 
blue  and  twelve  white  squares,  of  N.  L.  &  G.  Griswold; 
the  crimson  field  and  yellow  beehive,  of  Sutton  &  Co.;  the 
crimson  field,  white  border,  and  white  "  D  "  in  centre,  of 
George  Daniels;  the  red,  white,  and  red  vertical  stripes 
with  red  "  B  "  in  centre,  of  Vernon  H.  Brown ;  the  blue 
and  white  half-diamonds,  of  Russell  &  Co.;  the  crimson 
field  and  white  diamond,  of  Augustine  Heard  &  Co.;  the 
white  above  blue  and  red  ball  in  the  centre,  of  Sampson 
&  Tappan;  the  white  above  yellow  and  red  star  in  centre, 
of  Glidden  &  Willi..ms;  the  narrow  blue  and  white  hori- 
zontal stripes  with  red  ball  in  the  centre,  of  Napier,  John- 


304  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

view  and  skyline  of  the  port  from  the  harbor  were 
very  beautiful;  Battery  Park  with  its  fine  lawns 
and  trees  in  the  foreground,  the  graceful  spire  of 
Trinity  Church  forming  a  prominent  landmark, 
while  clustered  on  every  side  were  the  modest  yet 
dignified  and  substantial  residences,  gardens,  and 
warehouses  of  the  merchants,  with  a  quiet,  refined 
atmosphere  of  prosperity  and  contentment,  long 
since  departed. 

son  &  Co.;  the  white  field  and  blue  cross,  of  George  B.  Up- 
ton; the  crimson  swallowtail  and  blue  cross,  of  Charles  R. 
Green;  the  white  swallowtail,  red  cross  with  white  dia- 
mond in  the  centre,  of  R.  W.  Cameron;  the  crimson 
swallowtail,  blue  cross,  and  white  ball  in  the  centre,  of 
Wells  &  Emanuel ;  the  blue  above  white,  white  ball  in  blue 
and  red  ball  in  white,  of  D.  &  A.  Kingsland;  the  white 
field  and  red  cross  in  the  centre  of  D.  G.  &  W.  B.  Bacon; 
the  white  swallowtail  and  black  S.  &  B.,  of  Snow  & 
Burgess;  the  white  field  and  black  horse,  of  William  F. 
Weld  &  Co.  The  flag  of  Rowland  &  Aspinwall  had  a 
blue  square  in  the  upper  comer  of  the  luff  and  lower 
corner  of  the  fly;  the  rest  of  the  flag  was  white  with 
narrow  blue  lines  in  the  lower  corner  of  the  luff  and 
upper  corner  of  the  fly,  which  formed  squares,  and  also 
formed  a  white  cross  extending  the  full  hoist  and  length 
of  the  flag.  David  Ogden's  flag  was  a  white  field  and 
red  cross;  Crocker  &  Warren's,  blue  above  yellow  with 
a  yellow  "  C  "  in  the  blue  and  blue  "  W  "  in  the  yellow. 
Then  there  was  the  red  swallowtail  with  white  cross  and 
black  star  in  the  centre,  of  Samuel  Thompson  &  Nephew; 
the  blue  field,  white  diamond,  and  black  star,  of  Williams 
&  Guion ;  the  crimson  field  and  black  "  X  "  of  John  Gris- 
wold.  These  were  the  private  signals  of  most  of  the 
leading  New  York  and  Boston  ship-owners,  which,  half  a 
century  ago,  enlivened  the  water  front  of  New  York, 
though  there  were  some  others  which  have  now  faded 
from  memory. 


Summary  of  California  Passages     305 

The  New  York  pilot-boats  were  remarkably  fast 
and  able  schooners  of  from  80  to  90  tons,  which 
cruised  to  the  eastward  as  far  as  the  Grand  Banks, 
with  a  hand  in  the  crow's  nest  on  the  lookout  for 
the  packets  and  steamships  bound  for  New  York. 
Among  these  stanch  little  vessels  were  the  Wash- 
ington, Ezra  Nye,  George  W.  Blunt,  William  E. 
Aspinwall,  Mary  Taylor,  Moses  H.  Grinnell,  Charles 
E.  Marshall,  Mary  Fish,  George  Steers,  and  Jacob 
Bell.  The  New  York  pilots  themselves  were  a  very 
superior  class  of  men,  who  always  wore  beaver  hats 
when  boarding  a  vessel,  and  owned  their  boats,  and 
it  was  regarded  as  a  compliment  and  an  honor  for 
a  citizen  of  New  York  to  have  one  of  their  vessels 
named  for  him. 

Of  the  men  who  commanded  the  American  clipper 
ships,  it  may  be  said  that  they  carried  the  ensign 
of  the  United  States  to  every  quarter  of  the  globe, 
with  honor  to  their  country  and  themselves.  They 
were  not,  however,  all  cast  in  the  same  mould.  Each 
had  his  strongly  marked  individual  traits  of  char- 
acter, and  his  human  weaknesses.  Nothing  could  be 
more  remote  from  the  truth  than  to  imagine  these 
men  as  blustering  bullies  at  sea  or  rollicking  shell- 
backs on  shore;  neither  were  they  Chesterfields  or 
carpet  knights,  afloat  or  ashore,  nor  at  all  the  type 
of  skipper  that  one  is  apt  to  meet  in  works  of 
fiction.  Many  of  them  might  easily  have  been  mis- 
taken for  prosperous  merchants  or  professional  men, 
until  a  more  intimate  acquaintance  disclosed  the 
aura  of  salted  winds  and  surging  seas,  and  a  world- 
wide knowledge  of  men  and  cities.  These  were  the 
qualities    which    made    so    many    of    these    master 


3o6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

mariners  delightful  companions  and  welcome  guests 
at  the  firesides  of  refined  and  luxurious  homes, 
whose  doors  could  not  be  opened  by  golden  keys. 
It  may  well  be  doubted  whether  braver,  truer- 
hearted  gentlemen  or  finer  seamen  than  many  of 
the  American  clipper  ship  captains  of  half  a  century 
ago  have  ever  sailed  the  seas. 

Many  of  the  clipper  ship  captains  were  accom- 
panied on  their  voyages  by  their  wives,  whose 
influence  at  sea  was  humanizing,  while  their 
companionship  was  a  comfort  and  solace  to  their 
husbands.  In  foreign  ports,  especially  in  China 
and  India,  they  were  made  much  of.  The  mer- 
chants vied  with  each  other  to  render  their  visits 
enjoyable,  and  nothing  in  the  way  of  lavish  enter- 
tainment or  costly  gift  was  regarded  as  too  good 
for  them.  Mrs.  Babcock,  of  the  Sword-Fish  and 
Young  America;  Mrs.  Low,  of  the  N.  B.  Palmer; 
Mrs.  Very,  of  the  Hurricane:  Mrs.  Creecy,  of  the 
Flying  Cloudy  and  Mrs.  Andrews,  of  the  Red 
Gauntlet,  were  veritable  sea  belles,  while  Mrs. 
Patten  of  the  Neptune's  Car  proved  herself  a  true 
heroine. 

The  Neptune's  Car  sailed  from  New  York  for  San 
Francisco  in  June,  1856,  and  before  she  reached 
Cape  Horn,  Captain  Patten  was  compelled  to  put 
his  chief  officer  under  arrest  on  account  of  incom- 
petence and  neglect  of  duty.  That  winter  off  Cape 
Horn  was  unusually  cold  and  stormy,  and  the  ex- 
posure and  fatigue  which  Captain  Patten  was 
obliged  to  endure  brought  on  an  attack  of  brain 
fever  which  soon  resulted  in  his  becoming  entirely 
blind.     The  second  mate  was  a  good  seaman   but 


Summary  of  California  Passages    307 

knew  nothing  about  navigation.  Mrs.  Patten  at 
that  time  was  not  more  than  twenty-four  years 
old,  but  she  had  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
navigation  upon  a  previous  voyage  with  her  hus- 
band round  the  globe,  and  she  at  once  assumed 
command  of  the  ship.  For  52  days  she  navi- 
gated this  heavily  masted  clipper  of  over  1600  tons, 
taking  her  safely  into  the  harbor  of  San  Francisco, 
besides  acting  as  nurse  and  physician  to  her 
husband  and  keeping  him  alive  by  constant  care 
and  watchfulness.  The  chief  mate  asked  to  return 
to  duty,  but  Mrs.  Patten  declined  his  aid,  as  she 
had  no  faith  in  his  ability  or  loyalty,  and  preferred 
to  trust  the  faithful  though  illiterate  second  mate. 

Captain  Patten  never  recovered  his  health  and 
died  at  Boston  on  July  26,  1857,  in  his  thirty-sixth 
year.  His  funeral  took  place  at  Christ  Church  in 
that  city,  with  the  colors  of  the  shipping  in  the 
harbor  at  half  mast,  and  the  bells  of  the  church 
tolling  in  his  honor.  Captain  Joshua  A.  Patten 
was  born  in  Rockland,  Maine,  and  had  followed 
the  sea  from  boyhood.  He  was  a  prominent  Mason, 
and  for  several  years  had  been  a  member  of  Christ 
Church.  Mrs.  Mary  Patten  was  a  beautiful  woman  of 
the  finest  New  England  type,  with  a  refined,  gentle 
voice  and  manner.  While  not  active  in  the  then 
newly-organized  women's  rights  movement,  she  was 
unwillingly  made  to  appear  as  the  star  example 
of  woman's  ability  to  compete  successfully  in  the 
pursuits  and  avocations  of  man. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE   GREATNESS    AND   THE    DECLINE    OP   THE    AMERICAN 
MERCHANT    MARINE 

THE  year  1851  is  memorable  in  our  maritime 
annals,  because  at  that  time  the  United  States 
was  at  the  zenith  of  her  power  upon  the  ocean,  and 
had  completely  outstripped  her  rival  Great  Britain 
in  the  efficiency  and  extent  of  her  oversea  carrying 
trade.  It  is  true  that  the  total  tonnage  of  mer- 
chant shipping  owned  in  the  United  States  in  this 
year,  including  steam,  was  only  3,718,640  tons, 
against  4,332,085  owned  by  the  British  Empire  with 
all  its  dependencies;  but  these  figures,  like  many 
statistics  of  this  nature,  are  somewhat  misleading. 
The  primary  reason  for  the  existence  of  a  merchant 
ship  is,  of  course,  her  ability  to  pay  her  way  and 
earn  money  for  her  owners.  When  a  ship  ceases  to 
be  able  to  do  this,  the  sooner  she  is  converted  into 
a  hulk  or  broken  up,  the  better.  So  the  true  meas- 
ure of  a  nation's  merchant  marine  is  its  earning 
capacity,  not  merely  the  number  or  tonnage  of  its 
ships;  and  judged  by  this  standard,  the  merchant 
marine  of  the  United  States  was  at  this  time  far 
in  advance  of  the  merchant  shipping  of  the  whole 
British   Empire. 

In  the  first  place,  the  merchant  ships  of  the  Brit- 
308 


The  American  Merchant  Marine    309 

ish  Empire  were  of  such  massive  construction  that 
they  could  not  carry  at  the  very  most  more  than 
ninety  per  cent,  of  the  cargo  carried  by  ships  of 
similar  tonnage  owned  in  the  United  States;  then 
in  the  matter  of  speed,  an  American  merchantman 
would  make  five  voyages  while  a  British  ship  was 
making  four  of  equal  length;  and  as  to  freights, 
the  American  ships  had  the  splendid  rates  to  San 
Francisco  all  to  themselves,  while  from  China  to 
England  the  rates  of  freight  were  quite  double  in 
their  favor,  as  compared  with  British  ships. 

If  any  one  with  a  liking  for  statistics  will  apply 
these  facts  to  the  foregoing  figures,  the  seeming 
advantage  of  tonnage  possessed  by  the  British  Em- 
pire will  disappear  and  it  will  be  found  that  the 
merchant  marine  of  the  United  States  at  that  time 
held  a  commanding  position  in  the  maritime  carry- 
ing trade  of  the  world.  Furthermore,  the  ship- 
builders of  this  country  still  excelled  in  every 
branch  of  merchant  marine  architecture. 

On  the  North  Atlantic  in  1851,  the  American 
Collins  Line  steamships  Arctic,  Atlantic,  Baltic, 
and  Pacific  were  competing  successfully  with  the 
British  Cunarders  Niagai^a,  Canada,  Asia,  and 
Africa:  the  Baltic  holding  the  speed  record  for  both 
the  eastern  and  the  western  passages  between  New 
York  and  Liverpool;  while  the  I^ew  York,  Phila- 
delphia, and  Boston  packet  ships  still  held  their 
own.  No  sailing  ships  of  other  nationalities  could 
compete  with  them,  and  though  hard  pressed  by 
steamships  of  the  various  lines,  they  still  retained 
their  popularity  with  passengers  and  shipping  mer- 
chants.    American    ships    from    home    ports    were 


3IO  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

profitably  engaged  in  the  India,  China,  African,  and 
South  American  trades ;  the  New  Bedford  and  Nan- 
tucket whaling  ships  were  to  be  found  upon  every 
sea ;  the  Mississippi,  Hudson  Kiver,  and  Long  Island 
Sound  steamboats  were  the  most  perfect  types  of 
this  period  for  inland  navigation;  and  the  Massa- 
chusetts fishing  schooners,  the  North  River  sloops, 
and  the  New  York  pilot-boats  were  far  famed  for 
speed  and  beauty;  while  the  American  clippers  were 
now  known  and  admired  throughout  the  maritime 
world. 

It  was  in  this  year  also  that  the  Royal  Yacht 
Squadron  presented  a  cup  to  be  sailed  for  at  Cowes 
by  yachts  belonging  to  the  yacht  clubs  of  all  na- 
tions, which,  as  every  one  knows,  was  won  by  the 
America,  representing  the  New  York  Yacht  Club. 

"  To  teach  the  Mistress  of  the  Sea 
What  beam  and  mast  and  sail  should  be, 

To  teach  her  how  to  walk  the  wave 
With  graceful  step,  is  such  a  lore 
As  never  had  been  taught  before; 

Dumb  are  the  wise,  aghast  the  brave."  ^ 

Surely  De  Tocqueville  was  right  when  he  said: 
"  Nations,  as  well  as  men,  almost  always  betray 
the  most  prominent  features  of  their  future  destiny 
in  their  earliest  years.  When  I  contemplate  the 
ardor  with  which  the  Anglo-Americans  prosecute 
commercial  enterprise,  the  advantages  which  be- 
friend them,  and  the  success  of  their  undertakings, 
I  cannot  refrain  from  believing  that  they  will  one 

1  Walter  Savage  Landor. 


The  American  Merchant  Marine    311 

day  become  the  first  maritime  power  of  the  globe. 
They  are  born  to  rule  the  seas,  as  the  Romans  were 
to  conquer  the  world."  ^ 

This  day  had  then  come.  The  victory  of  the 
America  off  the  Isle  of  Wight  may  be  likened  to 
the  gilded  weathercock  at  the  top  of  some  lofty 
spire,  being  highly  decorative  and  at  the  same  time 
showing  the  direction  of  the  wind.  At  that  time 
the  commercial  greatness,  of  the  United  States 
rested  upon  the  splendid  qualities  shown  by  her 
sailing  ships  and  their  captains  upon  the  ocean. 
And  after  all  the  only  really  rational  sovereignty 
of  the  seas  that  exists,  or  has  ever  existed,  is  main- 
tained by  the  merchant  marine,  whose  ships  and 
seamen  contribute  not  only  to  the  welfare  and  hap- 
piness of  mankind,  but  also  to  the  wealth  of  the 
nations  under  whose  flags  they  sail. 

In  those  early  days,  as  the  flaming  posters  in 
the  downtown  streets  of  New  York  used  to  an- 
nounce, it  was  "  Sail  versus  Steam  "  and  the  packet 
ships  justified  their  claim  more  than  once  by  beat- 
ing a  steamship  from  port  to  port.  When,  as  not 
infrequently  happened,  a  packet  ship  running  be- 
fore a  strong  westerly  gale  in  mid-ocean  overhauled 
a  wallowing  side-wheel  steamer  bound  the  same 
way,  the  joyous  shouts  and  derisive  yells  of  the 
steerage  passengers  on  board  the  packet,  as 
she  ranged  alongside  and  swept  past  the  "  tea- 
kettle," were  good  for  the  ears  of  sailormen  to 
hear.  In  those  days  no  sailors  liked  steamships, 
not  even   those  who  went   to   sea   in  them.      If  a 

1  Democracy  in  America  (1835) ;  Second  American  edi- 
tion, p.  408. 


312  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

packet  captain  sighted  a  steamer  ahead  going  the 
same  way,  he  usually  steered  for  her  and  passed 
to  windward  as  close  as  possible,  in  order  that 
the  dramatic  effect  of  the  exploit  might  not  be 
lost  upon  the  passengers  of  either  vessel. 

The  Atlantic  steamship  lines  with  which  the  packet 
ships  had  to  compete,  the  Cunard,  Collins,  Havre, 
Bremen,  and  Vanderbilt  lines,  ran  only  wooden 
side-wheel  steamers ;  but  when  the  Inman  Line  was 
founded  in  1850,  and  began  to  run  iron  screw  steam- 
ers between  Liverpool  and  Philadelphia,  the  At- 
lantic packet  ships  began  to  lose  their  trade. 
Indeed,  from  1840,  when  the  Cunard  Line  was 
established,  until  the  Inman  Line  began  to  run  their 
fast  iron  screw  steamships  to  New  York  in  1857, 
the  rivalry  between  sail  and  steam  was  keen  and 
spirited.  During  these  years  the  Atlantic  mail 
steamships  carried  almost  as  much  canvas  as  sail- 
ing vessels,  and  they  continued  to  do  so  for  many 
years.  Most  of  the  Cunarders  were  barque-rigged, 
and  the  famous  Russia  of  that  line  carried  topmast 
and  topgallant  studdingsails.  The  Allan  liners  were 
also  barque-rigged,  and  the  Inman  steamships  were 
full  ship-rigged,  while  the  White  Star  liners 
were  ship-rigged  with  a  jigger  mast.  It  was  not 
until  1889,  when  the  White  Star  Line  brought  out 
the  Majestic  and  the  Teutonic  with  twin  screws, 
pole  masts,  and  no  canvas,  that  the  Atlantic  Ocean 
began  to  be  navigated  by  vessels  propelled  entirely 
by  steam ;  so  that  the  complete  transition  from  sail 
to  steam  required  very  nearly  half  a  century. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  steam  competition  had 
any  direct  effect  upon   the  California  clippers,  as 


The  American  Merchant  Marine    313 

it  is  only  of  late  years  that  there  has  been  direct 
communication  by  sea  between  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  coasts,  and  the  Pacific  Mail  Company,  after 
once  getting  its  steamers  round  into  the  Pacific, 
had  always  carried  passengers,  the  mails,  and  specie 
with  transshipment  at  Panama.  The  demand  for 
the  California  clippers  ceased  when  rapid  trans- 
portation of  cargoes  round  Cape  Horn  became  no 
longer  necessary. 

Besides  the  competition  between  sail  and  steam, 
there  was  also  going  on  for  many  years,  as  has 
already  been  suggested,  the  attempt  to  substitute 
iron  for  wood  in  the  construction  of  vessels,  and 
screw  propellers  for  paddle-wheels  as  a  means  of 
propulsion  by  steam.  In  both  branches  of  this 
transition,  which  were  parallel  but  not  necessarily 
connected,  Great  Britain  took  the  lead,  and  she 
has  rightfully  reaped  the  benefit. 

How  gradually  the  change  came  about  will  be 
seen  from  the  following  facts  and  figures:  The 
first  iron  sailing  ship  was  the  Vulcan,  built  on 
the  Clyde  in  1818,  and  in  the  following  year  the 
first  sailing  vessel  with  an  auxiliary  engine  crossed 
the  Atlantic.  This  was  the  Savannah,  a  wooden 
ship  of  350  tons,  with  portable  paddles  and  an  en- 
gine and  boiler  on  deck.  She  was  built  at  New 
York.  The  first  vessel  to  cross  the  Atlantic  using 
steam-power  during  the  entire  voyage  was  the  Royal 
William,  which  was  taken  from  Quebec  to  London 
in  1833;  and  in  1838  the  first  steamers  of  British 
build,  the  Great  Western  and  the  SiriuSy  made  the 
westward  passage.  The  first  steamer  constructed 
of  iron  was  the  Aaron  Manhy,  a  small  paddle-wheel 


314  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

vessel  about  50  feet  long,  built  at  Horsley,  Eng- 
land, in  1821;  and  the  first  screw  steamer  of  any 
importance  was  the  Archimedes,  an  iron  vessel  of 
237  tons,  built  in  England  in  1839.  The  Great 
Britain,  built  at  Bristol,  England,  in  1843,  was  the 
first  screw,  as  well  as  the  first  iron  steamer  to 
cross  the  Atlantic,  but  it  was  not  until  1850,  when 
the  Inman  liner  City  of  Glasgow  began  to  run 
regularly  between  Liverpool  and  Philadelphia,  that 
iron  screw  steamers  took  a  recognized  place  upon 
the  ocean. 

It  is  to  be  noticed  how  closely  these  last  dates 
correspond  with  those  of  the  clipper  ship  era,  which 
opened  with  the  advent  of  the  Raiiibow  in  1843, 
and  was  brought  to  its  greatest  brilliancy  through 
the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  and  Australia 
in  1848  and  1851.  At  this  time  each  nation  was 
devoting  its.  best  talents  to  developing  the  material 
that  lay  nearest  at  hand;  and  while  the  American 
wooden -built  type  was  earlier  brought  to  perfec- 
tion, its  possibilities  were  more  limited  by  natural 
causes.  Greater  economy,  durability,  and  regular- 
ity of  speed  on  the  part  of  the  iron  screw  steamer 
were  the  qualities  that  finally  drove  from  the  seas 
the  far  more  picturesque  and  beautiful  wooden 
sailing  ship. 

The  supremacy  held  by  the  merchant  marine  of 
the  United  States  in  1851  was  maintained  until 
about  1856,  and  during  this  period  American  ships 
continued  to  be  built,  bought,  and  chartered  by 
British  ship-owners;  but  after  the  great  financial 
depression  which  affected  both  countries  from  1857 
to  1859,  British  ship-owners  no  longer  needed  Ameri- 


The  American  Merchant  Marine    315 

can-built  ships,  for  in  Great  Britain  iron  had  by 
this  time  superseded  wood  in  the  construction  of 
large  vessels.  Thus  the  advantage  to  the  United 
States  of  having  an  abundant  supply  of  timber  was 
taken  away,  while  the  advantage  of  Free  Trade, 
with  low  cost  of  living,  was  on  the  side  of  England. 
Moreover,  the  spirit  of  enterprise,  which  had  been 
growing  in  Great  Britain  during  the  years  of  free 
competition  in  the  carrying  trade  since  1849,  was 
having  its  effect. 

Following  the  repeal  of  the  Navigation  Laws,  the 
Merchant  Shipping  Act  of  1854,  a  wise  and  far- 
seeing  measure,  completed  the  foundation  upon 
which  the  merchant  marine  of  Great  Britain  has 
been  developed.  This  act  of  Parliament  contains 
548  clauses,  dealing  with  all  questions  which  relate 
to  British  merchant  ships  and  seamen,  including 
tonnage.  The  ship-builders  of  Great  Britain  had 
been  much  hampered  by  the  old  tonnage  laws  and 
were  glad  to  see  them  abolished. ^  The  new  tonnage 
rules,  which  are  still  in  force,  were  based  upon  the 
actual  cubic  capacity  of  the  hull,  the  unit  of  100 
cubic  feet  being  one  ton  register,  so  that  a  vessel 
measuring  100,000  cubic  feet  internal  capacity 
registers  1000  tons,  and  is  able  to  carry  2000  tons 
at  50  cubic  feet  per  ton.  This  new  system  of 
measurement  encouraged  the  application  of  scien- 
tific knowledge  to  the  design  of  vessels,  and,  as 
we  shall  see,  helped  somewhat  to  prolong  the  clipper 
ship  era  in  England,  when  it  was  practically  dead 
in  the  United  States. 

It  is  true  that  during  our  Civil  War  American 

1  See  Appendix  IV. 


3i6  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

ships  were  still  sold  in  England,  but  this  was 
rather  because  their  owners  had  no  profitable  use 
for  them  at  home  than  from  any  lack  of  British 
iron  vessels.  Since  that  period,  the  decline  of 
American  shipping,  for  reasons  that  should  be  well 
understood,  has  been  constant. 

I  refer  to  the  Navigation  Laws  and  Protective 
Tariff  of  the  United  States.  The  former,  first  en- 
acted in  1792  and  revised  and  added  to  since  that 
time  only  in  unimportant  details,  have  long  out- 
lived the  usefulness  they  may  once  have  possessed, 
and  completely  fail  to  meet  the  requirements  of 
the  changes  in  ocean  navigation  that  have  taken 
place  during  the  period  of  more  than  a  century 
that  has  since  elapsed.  As  is  well  known,  they 
prohibit  an  American  citizen  from  owning  a  foreign- 
built  merchant  ship.  Meanwhile  the  Protective 
Tariff  so  increases  the  cost  of  living  and  with  it 
the  cost  of  the  labor  and  materials  that  go  into 
the  construction  of  a  modern  ship,  that  the  Ameri- 
can ship-builder  cannot  produce  a  steel  or  iron 
vessel  at  anything  like  a  cost  that  will  enable  her 
to  compete  successfully  with  a  ship  of  the  same 
class  constructed  in  a  European  shipyard.  Were 
it  not  for  this  hindrance,  the  immense  natural  ad- 
vantages of  such  broad,  deep  waters  as  those  of 
the  Delaware  and  Chesapeake,  where  the  finest  coal 
and  iron  ore  are  within  easy  transportation,  and 
the  abundant  food  supplies  of  the  neighboring 
garden  States  and  of  the  West  which  are  easily 
accessible,  would  make  them  ideal  spots  for  the 
construction  of  ships.  So  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
Navigation  Laws  and  Protective  Tariff  are  the  mill- 


The  American  Merchant  Marine    317 

stones  between  which  the  American  ship-owner  and 
ship-builder  at  present  find  themselves  ground  with 
an  ever-receding  prospect  of  escape  from  this  cun- 
ningly devised  dilemma.  Meanwhile,  the  ensign  of 
the  United  States  no  longer  contributes  in  any 
marked  degree  to  the  gayety  of  foreign  seaports; 
whereas,  Great  Britain,  with  inferior  coal  and  iron 
ore,  compelled  to  import  the  food  and  clothing 
material  for  her  shipwrights  from  distant  lands, 
and  with  certainly  no  keener  intelligence  nor 
greater  energy  among  her  ship-owners  and  builders, 
but  guided  by  the  enlightened  policy  of  Free  Trade, 
sends  her  endless  procession  of  merchant  ships,  both 
sail  and  steam,  to  every  seaport  upon  the  globe. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE    LATER   BRITISH    TEA    CLIPPERS 

IN  what  may  be  called  the  ante-Suez  Canal  days, 
China  was  a  pretty  comfortable  place  to  be  in. 
The  East  India  Company,  with  its  pomp  and  gran- 
deur, had  passed  away,  but  the  older  residents 
treasured  the  picturesque  traditions  of  former  times, 
and  the  comfort  and  luxury  of  the  old  days  still 
survived. 

All  white  foreigners  in  China  were  known  as 
Europeans,  and  at  the  little  treaty  ports  along  the 
coast  their  communities  were  closely  united  by  ties 
of  social  necessity,  the  barriers  of  national  prej- 
udice, if  they  existed,  being  soon  obliterated  in 
the  effort  of  each  member  to  contribute  to  the 
well-being  of  all.  Hong-kong  was  the  European 
capital.  With  its  cathedral,  Government  House, 
regiment  of  soldiers,  court  of  justice,  race-course, 
social  clubs,  and  annual  Derby  and  Regatta  week,  it 
was  a  most  entertaining  pocket  edition  of  England, 
set  down  at  the  base  of  a  lofty  island  mountain- 
peak,  between  the  bluest  of  seas  and  the  brightest 
of  skies.  Almost  the  only  things  that  reminded 
one  of  the  Orient  were  the  tiers  of  junks  that  lay 
moored  at  the  western  end  of  the  town,  and  the 

318     . 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers         319 

industrious  well-mannered  Chinese  who  mingled  so 
unobtrusively  with  their  visitors  from  the  west. 

All  of  these  things  worked  together  for  good. 
There  were  no  cables  or  telegraphs  to  vex  the  souls 
of  the  righteous.  The  P.  &  O.  steamer,  via  the 
Red  Sea  and  the  Indian  Ocean,  usually  arrived 
every  month,  though  frequently  four  or  five  days 
overdue,  and  once  in  a  while  she  would  not  appear 
at  all,  having  fetched  up  on  one  of  the  numerous 
uncharted  reefs  or  shoals  that  then  infested  these 
seas.  When  she  did  arrive,  there  was  a  ripple  of 
excitement  over  receiving  letters  and  newspapars 
from  home,  and  when  she  had  departed,  the  little 
colony  settled  once  more  into  agreeable  repose.  The 
towns  and  cities  of  America  and  Europe  seemed 
far  away — bright,  shadowy  visions  that  dwelt  in 
our  hearts  as  "  home." 

In  1862  the  Messageries  Imperiales  of  France 
extended  their  steamship  line  to  China,  and  in  1867 
the  first  steamship  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company 
from  San  Francisco  arrived  at  Hong-kong.  Vast 
numbers  of  globe-trotters  then  began  to  appear, 
most  of  them  far  too  energetic;  they  insisted,  among 
other  things,  on  tying  their  own  shoestrings,  and 
in  general  proved  very  inferior  lotus-eaters. 
When  the  Suez  Canal  was  opened  and  telegraph 
cables  began  to  be  laid,  then  the  remnant  of  charm 
that  had  made  the  old  life  in  China  so  pleasant 
vanished  forever. 

In  1859  quite  a  new  type  of  China  tea  clipper 
appeared  in  Great  Britain.  The  first  of  these 
beautiful  vessels  was  the  Falcon,  built  by  Robert 
Steele  &  Son,  at  Greenock,   and  owned   by   Shaw, 


320  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Maxton  &  Co.  She  was  a  wooden  vessel  of  937  tons 
register;  length  191  feet  4  inches,  breadth  32  feet 
2  inches,  depth  20  feet  2  inches,  and  was  com- 
manded by  Captain  Maxton,  who  had  been  in  com- 
mand of  the  Lord  of  the  Isles.  The  Falcon  was 
the  first  of  the  really  handsome  tea  clippers  sail- 
ing out  of  London.  Like  her,  the  Fiery  Cross ^ 
built  by  Chalour  &  Co.,  of  Liverpool,  in  1860;  the 
Min,  by  Robert  Steele  &  Son,  of  Greenock,  and 
the  Kelso,  by  William  Pile,  of  Sunderland,  in  1861 ; 
the  Belted  Will,  by  Feel  &  Co.,  of  Workington, 
and  the  Seiica,  by  Robert  Steele  &  Son,  in  1863  were 
all  wooden  ships  sheathed  with  red  copper.  The 
Fiery  Cross,  the  largest  of  these,  was  only  888  tons. 
They  were  all  beautiful  vessels  of  an  entirely  origi- 
nal type  and  with  nothing  about  them  to  remind 
one  of  the  American  clippers;  for  they  had  con- 
siderably less  sheer,  much  less  freeboard,  and  lower 
bulwarks,  and  their  comparatively  small  breadth 
gave  them  a  slim,  graceful  appearance. 

These  ships  and  the  tea  clippers  which  followed 
them  had  very  clear  decks  for  working  ship.  The 
deck-houses  were  small,  and  with  the  rails,  bul- 
warks, waterways,  bitts,  hatch-coamings,  compan- 
ions, and  skylights  were  of  India  teak  varnished; 
the  decks,  also  of  India  teak,  were  holystoned ;  and 
this,  with  the  polished  brasswork  and  the  spare 
spars  lashed  amidships,  made  them  very  smart  and 
shipshape. 

The  tea-trade  in  the  early  sixties  was  compara- 
tively small,  and  did  not  require  many  vessels,  but 
speed  in  the  delivery  of  new  teas  was  of  the  utmost 
importance,  and  it  was  this  demand  that  brought 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers        321 

these  clippers  into  existence.  They  were  designed 
with  great  skill  for  this  special  purpose,  and  as 
they  invariably  sailed  from  China  with  new  teas 
during  the  southwest  monsoon,  it  was  necessary 
that  they  should  be  smart  in  moderate  weather 
going  to  windward,  as  well  as  in  getting  through 
the  northeast  trades  in  the  Atlantic.  It  was  under 
these  conditions  that  they  did  their  best  work. 
They  did  not  carry  as  heavy  spars  nor  as  much 
canvas  as  the  American  clippers  of  the  same  length, 
and  probably  could  not  have  done  so  to  advantage, 
as  their  breadth  was  considerably  less,  and  with 
their  easy  lines  they  did  not  require  much  canvas 
to  drive  them.  They  were  remarkably  fast  in  light 
and  moderate  winds,  and  made  fine  averages  rather 
than  exceptional  daily  records  of  speed,  none  of 
them  reaching  the  extreme  speed  of  many  of  the 
sharper  and  more  powerful  American  clipper  ships. 
Only  twenty-five  or  thirty  of  these  vessels  were 
built  from  first  to  last,  and  not  more  than  four 
or  five  in  any  one  year.  A  list  of  the  most  cele- 
brated of  them  will  be  found  in  Appendix  III. 

The  captains  were  men  of  great  ability,  who 
handled  their  ships  with  skill  and  judgment;  some 
of  them  accumulated  considerable  fortunes,  being 
part  owners  of  the  vessels  which  they  commanded. 
These  ships  were  manned  by  fine  British  seamen, 
many  of  whom  had  served  in  the  Royal  Navy.  When 
these  fellows  got  safely  to  sea  and  properly  sobered 
up,  there  were  no  smarter  sailors  afloat,  whether 
aloft  or  with  marlinspike,  palm  and  needle,  or 
watch  tackle. 

In  1863  the  first  tea  clippers  of  composite  con- 


322  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

struction  were  brought  out — the  Taeping,  built  by 
Robert  Steele  &  Son ;  the  Eliza  Shaw,  by  Alexander 
Stephen,  and  the  Yang-tze  and  Black  Prince,  by 
Alexander  Hall.  This  system  of  ship-building — 
iron  frames  and  wood  planking — was  invented  by 
John  Jordan,  son  of  a  member  of  the  firm  of  L.  H. 
Macintyre  &  Co.,  ship-builders  of  Liverpool,  who 
built  the  schooner  Excelsior  upon  this  principle  in 
1850,  and  the  barque  Marion  Macintyre,  in  1851, 
these  being  the  first  composite  vessels  constructed. 

This  system  combined  the  strength  of  iron  frames 
with  the  advantage  that  the  wooden  planking  could 
be  coppered  to  prevent  fouling,  which  was  a  serious 
matter  in  this  trade.  Great  care  had  to  be  taken 
in  building  these  vessels  to  prevent  galvanic  action 
so  far  as  possible.  Gutta-percha  was  placed  be- 
tween the  frames  and  planking  as  a  non-conductor; 
the  planking  was  then  fastened  with  yellow-metal 
screw  bolts  with  counter-sunk  heads,  the  holes 
being  afterwards  filled  with  a  composition  prepared 
for  the  purpose.  Mr.  Jordan  obtained  a  patent  for 
his  invention,  but  it  did  not  attract  much  attention 
until  adopted  in  the  construction  of  the  Taeping, 
Eliza  Shaw,  Yang-tze,  and  Black  P7Hnce.^  From 
that  time  all  the  tea  clippers  were  of  composite 
build,  though  it  was  not  until  1867  that  the  Com- 
mittee of  Lloyd's  Register  issued  rules  for  their 
construction. 

It  was  in  1863  also  that  the  Seaforth,  an  iron 
ship  of  1200  tons,  built  for  the  Calcutta  trade  by 
Jones,  Quiggin  &  Co.,  of  Liverpool,  was  fitted  with 
steel  lower  masts,  topmasts,  topsails  yards,  and 
bowsprit,  and  with  standing  rigging  of  steel  wire 


o 

s 

o 
O 

I 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers        323 

rope.  It  was  estimated  that  by  replacing  wood  and 
hemp  with  steel,  she  saved  21  tons  weight  aloft, 
besides  getting  less  wind  resistance  and  a  very  con- 
siderable increase  in  strength.  The  Seaforth  was 
the  first  vessel  to  have  steel  spars  and  rigging,  but 
they  soon  came  into  use  on  board  the  tea  clippers. 

The  wild,  speculative  years  of  ship-owning  which 
followed  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  and 
Australia,  when  a  clipper  ship  was  expected  to 
pay  for  herself  every  voyage  or  two,  had  now 
passed  away.  Ship-owners  retained  a  lively  recol- 
lection of  the  crash  in  1857  and  the  depression  which 
followed,  so  the  tea  clippers  were  built  with  an 
eye  to  economy  as  well  as  speed.  The  rates  of 
freight,  which  in  the  early  fifties  had  been  £6  and 
even  as  high  as  £8  per  ton,  were  in  1863  £4  10s.  to 
£5  per  ton — still  fine  paying  rates  on  the  invest- 
ment of  capital,  after  allowing  for  running  expenses 
and  depreciation.  Ship-owning  in  Great  Britain 
had  now  become  established  upon  a  less  profitable, 
though  more  rational  and  substantial  basis. 

The  tea  clippers  carried  from  200  to  300  tons  of 
clean  shingle  ballast,  laid  beautifully  smooth  and 
even,  upon  which  the  chests  of  tea  were  stowed, 
and  a  considerable  quantity  of  dunnage  wood,  for 
which  allowances  were  made  in  reckoning  the  actual 
cargo  capacity.  The  Tacping,  which  under  the 
new  rules  based  on  the  cubic  capacity  of  the  hull 
registered  767  tons,  carried  1234  tons  of  tea  at 
50  cubit  feet  per  ton,  with  a  crew  of  30  men 
all  told.  Vessels  were  now  designed  on  scientific 
principles,  and  it  may  be  doubted  whether  the 
qualities  then  desirable  in  a  merchant  sailing  ship 


324  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

— speed,  strength,  carrying  capacity,  and  economy — 
have  ever  been  so  successfully  united  as  in  these 
famous  China  tea  clippers. 

Some  exciting  contests  took  place  between  the 
various  clippers  of  the  new  type,  the  Falcon,  Fiery 
Cross,  Serica,  and  Taeping  proving  the  most  suc- 
cessful. In  the  year  1865  the  Fiery  Cross  and 
Serica  sailed  from  Foo-chow  side  by  side,  on  May 
28th,  both  bound  for  London.  After  a  close  race 
during  which  they  sighted  each  other  several  times, 
both  ships  made  their  signals  off  St.  Catharine's, 
Isle  of  Wight,  at  almost  the  same  moment,  106  days 
from  Foo-chow,  and  continued  up  Channel  before  a 
light  westerly  breeze.  Off  Beechy  Head  they  fell 
in  with  the  tugs  sent  out  to  meet  them,  the  Serica 
at  that  time  having  a  lead  of  about  two  miles. 
The  Fiery  Cross,  however,  secured  the  most  power- 
ful tug  and  reached  her  dock  one  tide  before  the 
Serica,  thus  winning  the  premium  of  10  shillings 
per  ton.  The  Taeping  sailed  from  Foo-chow  some 
days  later  and  made  the  passage  to  the  Downs  in 
101  days.  As  may  be  supposed,  this  system  of 
awarding  premiums  led  to  a  good  deal  of  un- 
pleasantness. 

In  1865,  Robert  Steele  &  Son  brought  out  the 
sister  ships  Ariel  and  Sir  Launcelot;  Alexander 
Hall,  the  Ada,  and  Connell  &  Co.,  of  Glasgow,  the 
Taitsing,  all  of  composite  construction;  and  in  the 
following  year  the  most  famous  race  between 
these  vessels — the  one  which  the  tea  brokers  of 
Mincing  Lane  still  discuss  with  enthusiasm — was 
sailed.  It  was  arranged  that  nine  clippers  should 
sail  from  Foo-chow  as  nearly  the  same  date  as  pos- 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers        325 

sible,  and  during  the  last  week  in  May  the  pic- 
turesque Pagoda  Anchorage  presented  a  scene  of 
unusual  activity.  The  Ada,  Black  Prince,  China- 
man, Fiery  Cross,  Flying  Sjnir,  Serica,  Ariel, 
Taeping,  and  T  ait  sing  were  all  hurrying  to  finish 
loading  and  get  to  sea.  Cargo  junks  and  lorchers  ^ 
were  being  warped  alongside  at  all  hours  of  the 
day  and  night;  double  gangs  of  good-natured,  chat- 
tering coolies  were  on  board  each  ship  ready  to 
handle  and  stow  the  matted  chests  of  tea  as  they 
came  alongside;  comfortable  sampans  worked  by 
merry  barefooted  Chinese  women  sailed  or  rowed  in 
haste  between  the  ships  and  the  shore;  slender  six- 
oared  gigs  with  crews  of  stalwart  Chinamen  in 
white  duck  uniforms  darted  about  the  harbor ;  while 
dignified  master  mariners,  dressed  in  white  linen  or 
straw-colored  pongee  silk,  with  pipe-clayed  shoes  and 
broad  pith  hats,  impatiently  handled  the  yoke  lines. 
On  shore  the  tyepans  and  their  clerks  hurried 
about  in  sedan  chairs  carried  on  the  shoulders  of 
perspiring  coolies,  with  quick,  firm  step  to  the 
rhythm  of  their  mild  but  energetic  "  woo  ho — woo- 
ho — woo  ho."  The  broad,  cool  veranda  of  the  club- 
house was  almost  deserted;  in  the  great  hongs  of 
Adamson,  Bell;  Oilman  &  Co.;  Jardine,  Matheson; 
Oibb,  Livingston;  and  Sassoon,  the  gentry  of  Foo- 
chow  toiled  by  candle-light  over  manifests  and  bills 
of  lading  and  exchange,  sustained  far  into  the  night 
by  slowly  swinging  punkahs,  iced  tea,  and  the 
fragrant  Manila  cheroot. 

1  A  lorcher  is  a  fast  Chinese  vessel,  used  a  good  deal 
by  fishermen,  and  in  former  times  by  the  Chinese  pirates 
and  smugglers. 


326  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

The  Fiery  Cross  was  the  first  ship  to  get  her  final 
chest  of  tea  on  board,  at  midnight,  and  she  towed 
to  sea  early  on  the  morning  of  May  29th ;  the  Ariel 
left  the  Pagoda  Anchorage  at  10:30  and  the  Se^Hca 
and  Taeping  at  10:50  a.m.  on  the  30th;  the  Taitsing 
followed  at  midnight  on  the  31st.  Here  we  must 
bid  good-bye  to  the  Ada,  Black  Prince,  Chinaman, 
and  Flying  Spur,  for  these  vessels,  unfortunately, 
did  not  finish  loading  in  time  to  take  part  in  the 
race.  The  five  competing  ships,  however,  repre- 
sented the  flower  of  the  fleet,  and  for  this  reason 
had  been  the  favorites  with  shippers.  The  Fiery 
Cross,  Taeping,  and  Serica  were  fast  and  well-tried 
vessels,  while  the  Ariel  and  Taitsing  were  just  be- 
ginning their  successful  career.  The  captains,  Keay, 
of  the  Ariel;  Robinson,  of  the  Fiery  Cross;  Innes,  of 
the  Serica;  McKinnon,  of  the  Taeping,  and  Nuts- 
field,  of  the  Taitsing,  were  all  seamen  of  skill  and 
experience,  well  known  in  the  China  trade. 

The  Fiery  Cross  found  a  light  northeast  breeze 
outside,  and  passed  through  the  Formosa  Channel 
with  royal  studdingsails  set,  followed  by  the  other 
four  ships.  They  all  carried  this  breeze  for  four  hun- 
dred miles,  when  the  Fiery  Cross  drifted  into  a  calm 
which  let  the  other  ships  run  up,  but  she  was  the 
first  to  get  the  southwest  monsoon,  and  soon  drew 
away  again.  On  June  8th  the  Fiery  Cross  and  Ariel 
met  on  opposite  tacks,  both  ships  having  a  strong 
southwest  breeze,  and  the  Fiery  Cross  passed  three 
miles  to  windward.  She  kept  her  lead  through  the 
Straits  of  Sunda,  passing  Anjer  Point  at  noon  on 
June  19th,  and  was  followed  by  the  Ariel  on  the 
morning  of  June  20th  and  the  Taeping  during  that 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers        327 

afternoon ;  the  Scrica  passed  Anjer  Point  on  the  22d 
and  the  Taitsing  on  the  25th.  From  Anjer  Point 
to  the  meridian  of  Mauritius  they  all  carried  fresh 
trade  winds,  and  it  was  on  this  stretch  across  the  In- 
dian Ocean  that  each  ship  made  her  best  twenty-four 
hours'  run — the  Ariel,  317;  Taeping,  319;  Serica^ 
201;  Fiery  Cross,  328;  and  Taitsing,  318  miles. 

The  Fiery  Cross  rounded  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope 
on  July  14th,  46  days  from  Foo-chow,  followed  by 
the  Ariel  also  46  days;  Taeping,  47  days;  Scrica, 
50  days,  and  Taitsing,  54  days.  The  Fiery  Cross 
was  on  the  equator,  August  3d,  20  days  from  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  with  the  Ariel  still  only  one 
day  astern,  while  the  Taeping  and  Taitsing  had  each 
gained  1  and  the  Serica  2  days  on  this  stretch.  On 
August  9th,  in  latitude  12°  29'  N.,  the  Fiery  Cross 
and  Taeping  exchanged  signals,  and  they  continued 
in  company,  with  calms  and  variable  winds  until 
the  17th,  when  the  Taeping  picked  up  a  breeze  which 
carried  her  out  of  sight  while  the  Fiery  Cross  lay 
becalmed  for  another  twenty-four  hours.  Mean- 
while, the  A/^/e?,  which  was  about  thirty  miles  further 
to  the  westward,  found  better  winds  and  now  led 
the  fleet,  while  the  Taitsing  brought  up  a  good 
breeze  and  passed  the  Taeping,  Serica,  and  Fiery 
Cross  and  was  closing  on  the  Ariel,  At  the  Azores 
the  Ariel  still  held  the  lead,  though  closely  followed 
by  the  Taitsing,  Fiery  Cross,  Serica,  and  Taeping 
in  the  order  named.  From  the  Azores  to  the  en- 
trance of  the  English  Channel,  the  Taeping  and 
Serica  passed  the  Taitsing  and  Fiery  Cross  and 
closed  on  the  Ariel,  the  Taeping  leading  the  Serica 
by  about  six  hours. 


328  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

At  daybreak  on  tlie  morning  of  September  5th, 
two  of  the  clippers  sighted  each  other  running  in 
for  the  Lizard;  they  were  about  five  miles  apart, 
beam  and  beam,  steering  on  slightly  converging 
courses.  There  was  a  strong  southerly  wind  with 
smooth  sea,  and  both  ships  were  being  driven  at 
their  utmost  speed — a  good  fifteen  knots — their  lee 
scuppers  smothered  in  foam,  with  the  wind  well 
abaft  the  starboard  beam ;  both  were  under  the  same 
canvas,  main  skysail,  topmast,  topgallant,  royal, 
and  square  lower  studdingsails.  Neither  captain 
required  the  example  of  the  other  to  send  his  ship 
along  at  her  best  speed — they  had  been  doing  that 
for  ninety-eight  days  and  nights.  When  their  sig- 
nals could  be  made  out  these  ships  proved  to  be 
the  Ariel  and  the  Taeping.  After  passing  the 
Lizard  the  wind  moderated,  and  they  raced  up 
channel  almost  side  by  side,  now  one  and  then  the 
other  gaining  a  slight  advantage,  but  never  far 
apart,  and  as  they  passed  the  various  headlands 
along  the  coast  they  presented  a  spirited  marine 
picture.  They  were  off  the  pilot  station  at  Dunge- 
ness  at  three  o'clock  the  next  morning  and  burned 
tbeir  blue  lights  for  pilots,  who  boarded  both  ships 
at  the  same  time.  With  a  moderate  wind  they  were 
now  making  not  more  than  five  or  six  knots  through 
the  water,  but  the  tide  was  sweeping  them  along 
fast.  Off  the  South  Foreland  the  wind  slackened 
again  with  the  rising  sun.  Here  the  Ariel  held  a 
slight  lead  and  she  passed  Deal  at  8  o'clock,  fol- 
lowed by  the  Taeping  eight  minutes  later,  but  as 
the  latter  vessel  had  sailed  from  the  Pagoda  An- 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers        329 

chorage  twenty  minutes  after  the  Ariel,  ninety-nine 
days  before,  she  had  won  the  race  by  twelve  minutes. 
Both  ships  had  sailed  16,000  miles. 

The  Serica  passed  Deal  four  hours  later ;  all  three 
ships  went  up  the  Thames  on  the  same  tide,  and 
after  the  usual  tugboat  race,  the  Taeping  arrived 
in  the  London  Docks  at  9 :45,  the  Ariel  in  the  East 
India  Docks  at  10:15,  and  the  Serica  in  the  West 
India  Docks  at  11 :30  p.m.  on  September  6th.  The 
Fiery  Cross  passed  Deal  on  the  7th  and  the  Taitsing 
on  the  9th,  each  101  days  from  the  Pagoda 
Anchorage. 

The  following  is  an  abstract  of  their  logs: 


Fiery 
Ariel     Taeping    Serica    Cross    Taitsing 
From  the  Pagoda 
Anchorage  to 
Anjer  21  days  21  days  23  days  21  days  26  days. 


From  Anjer  to 

the  Cape  of 

Good  Hope         25 

"      26 

"      27 

"      25 

"      28 

From  the  Cape 

of  Good  Hope 

to  the  equator    20 

"      19 

"      18 

"      20 

"      19 

From  the  equator 

to    Deal               33 

"      33 

"      31 

"      35 

"      28 

Total          99 

"      99 

"      99 

"     101 

"    101 

330  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

The  best  twenty-four  hours'  runs  were  as  follows : 

Average 

Ariel    June  25 317  miles 13.2    knots. 

Taeping    "     25 319     "      13.3       " 

Serica "     29 291     "      12.1       " 

Fiery   Cross "     24 328     "     13.7       " 

Taitsing   July     2 318     "      13.25     " 

This  contest  of  1866  was  one  of  the  grandest 
ocean  races  ever  sailed,  partly  on  account  of  the 
number  of  evenly  matched  vessels  engaged  in  it, 
but  chiefly  by  reason  of  the  splendid  manner  in 
which  it  was  contested  and  the  close,  exciting  fin- 
ish. The  tea  cargoes  of  the  five  ships  were:  Tae- 
ping, 1,108,709  lbs.;  Ariel,  1,230,900  lbs.;  Serica, 
954,236  lbs.;  Fiery  Cross,  854,236  lbs.;  Taitsing, 
1,093,130  lbs. 

The  usual  altercation  arose  over  the  award  of 
premium,  which  this  year  was  10  shillings  per  ton ; 
Shaw,  Maxton  &  Co.,  owners  of  the  Ariel,  protested 
that  their  ship  had  arrived  first  at  Deal  and  was 
therefore  entitled  to  the  prize  money,  but  the  con- 
tention of  Rodger  &  Co.,  owners  of  the  Taeping, 
that  their  ship  had  made  the  fastest  passage  and 
had  also  reached  her  dock  first,  prevailed,  and  the 
matter  was  finally  adjusted  by  dividing  the  pre- 
mium. The  captains  all  dined  together  at  the  Ship 
and  Turtle  Tavern  in  Leadenhall  Street,  and  har- 
mony was  restored,  but  there  were  no  premiums 
after  this  race.  The  system  of  awards  had  always 
led  to  controversy,  and  such  an  effort  to  combine 
sport  and  business  could  not  be  made  to  flourish. 
There  had  also  been  heavy  betting  on  these  races, 
large  sums  of  money  changing  hands,  and  this  con- 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers        331 

tinued ;  but  it  was  better  understood  whether  wagers 
were  being  laid  on  the  clippers  or  tugboats,  for 
under  the  old  system,  there  had  been  nothing  except 
expense  to  prevent  a  ship  towing  from  the  Azores. 

In  the  next  two  years  the  fleet  was  increased  by 
a  number  of  fine  vessels,  built  to  meet  the  com- 
petition of  steam,  which  was  now  beginning  to  be 
felt  in  the  China  trade.  We  have  seen  how  fierce 
and  prolonged  a  contest  there  had  been  between 
sail  and  steam  on  the  Atlantic,  where  the  brave  old 
packet  ships  had  finally  been  driven  into  other 
trades,  and  how  the  California  and  Australian  clip- 
I>crs  had  gradually  been  superseded  by  other  means 
of  transportation.  The  difficulty  and  peculiar  con- 
ditions of  the  China  voyage  made  this  a  harder 
field  to  conquer. 

Since  1845  the  P.  &  O.  steamers  had  carried  pas- 
sengers between  England  and  China  via  the  Red 
Sea,  but  they  were  expensive  vessels  to  operate,  and 
there  were  difficulty  and  delay  in  transportation 
across  the  Isthmus  of  Suez;  consequently,  their 
rates  of  freight  were  high  and  they  were  unable 
to  compete  with  the  tea  clippers.  On  the  other 
hand,  auxiliary  vessels  did  not  have  sufficient  power 
to  drive  them  against  the  southwest  monsoon  when 
new  teas  were  shipped  from  China,  as  their  heavy 
masts,  yards,  and  rigging  held  them  back  in  head 
winds.  A  number  of  auxiliaries  were  tried  in  the 
China  trade,  among  them  the  Scotland,  Erl  King, 
Robert  Lowe,  and  Far  East,  but  they  were  not  suc- 
cessful. As  late  as  1866  there  were  no  steamers 
that  could  make  the  voyage  between  England  and 
China  with  sufficient  cargo  to  meet  expenses,  and 


332  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

very  few  persons  at  that  time  believed  that  the 
direct  trade  between  Euroi)e  and  China  could  ever 
be  carried  on  by  steamers,  or  that  the  Suez  Canal, 
even  if  completed,  would  prove  of  any  commercial 
value. 

In  this  year,  however,  Alfred  Holt,  of  Liverpool, 
brought  out  three  iron  screw  steamships  with  com- 
pound engines — the  Ajax^  Achilles^  and  Agamemnon, 
— 2270  tons  gross  and  1550  tons  net  register — and 
put  them  in  the  China  trade.  These  vessels  could 
steam  from  London  to  Mauritius,  a  distance  of  8500 
miles,  without  coaling,  a  remarkable  performance 
in  those  days,  and  they  made  the  passage  from 
Foo-chow  to  London  in  58  days,  at  an  average  speed 
of  235  miles  per  day.  These  were  the  first  steam- 
ships to  perform  long  ocean  voyages  successfully, 
and  they  marked  a  new  era  in  steam  navigation,  al- 
though they  were  expensive  vessels  to  operate  com- 
pared with  steamers  of  the  present  day,  and  it  was 
at  first  doubted  whether  they  could  be  made  to  pay. 

The  owners,  builders,  and  captains  of  the  tea 
clippers  were  not  men  to  yield  without  a  contest; 
they  met  this  new  and  aggressive  invasion  of  steam 
by  building  in  rapid  succession  such  noted  fliers 
as  the  Titania,  Spindrift,  For'ward  Ho,  Lahloo, 
Leander,  Thermopylce,  Windhover,  Cutty  Sarh, 
Caliph,  Wylo,  Eaisoiv,  and  Lothair,  These,  with 
the  older  tea  clippers,  held  their  own  against  the 
steamers  until  the  opening  of  the  Suez  Canal  in 
November,  1869,  greatly  lessened  the  length  of  the 
voyage  and  the  difficulty  and  expense  of  obtaining 
coal. 

In   1868  the  Ariel,  Taeping,  and   Sir  Launcelot 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers        333 

sailed  from  Foo-chow  on  May  28th,  the  Spindrift 
on  the  29th,  the  Lahloo  on  the  30th,  the  Serica  on 
June  1st,  and  the  Leander  on  June  3d.  The  Ariel 
and  Spindrift  made  the  passage  to  Deal  in  97  days, 
the  Sir  Launcelot  in  98  days,  the  Lahloo  in  100  days ; 
Taeping,  102  days;  Leander,  109  days,  and  Serica, 
113  days. 

The  famous  tea  clipper  Thermopylce  was  launched 
in  this  year.  She  was  of  composite  construction,  built 
by  Walter  Hood,  of  Aberdeen,  for  George  Thompson 
&  Co.,  who  also  owned  the  Star  of  Peace,  Ethiopian, 
Aristides,  Patriarch,  Salamis,  and  other  fine  ships 
well  knoT\Ti  in  the  Australian  trade.  The  Thermopy- 
Iw  was  947  tons  register;  length  210  feet,  breadth 
36  feet,  depth  21  feet;  she  carried  double  topsails, 
but  no  skysail,  and  like  all  the  Thompson  ships,  her 
hull  was  painted  sea  green  from  the  copper  up  with 
white  yards  and  lower  masts.  She  carried  a  hand- 
some figurehead  of  the  brave  Leonidas,  and  was  a 
very  beautiful  ship.  She  was  designed  by  Bernard 
Weymouth,  an  accomplished  naval  architect  who 
was  for  many  years  the  secretary  to  Lloyd's  Re- 
gister of  Shipping.  He  had  before  this  designed 
the  tea  clipper  Leander,  and  later  designed  the 
Melbourne,  a  fast  ship  in  the  Australian  trade,  built 
and  owned  by  Richard  Green,  of  London,  of  which 
further  mention  will  be  made  later. 

On  her  first  voyage  the  Thermopylce  sailed  from 
London  to  Melbourne  under  command  of  Captain 
Kemball,  who  had  formerly  commanded  the  Fair- 
light  and  the  Yang-tze.  She  left  Gravesend,  No- 
vember 7,  1868,  and  arrived  at  Melbourne,  January 
9,  1869,  thus  making  the  passage  in  the  remarkable 


334  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

record  time  of  63  days,  the  same  time  as  the  record 
passage  of  the  James  Baines,  from  Liverpool  to 
Melbourne  fourteen  years  before.  She  had  a  fast 
run  of  21  days  to  the  equator;  on  the  three  days 
before  and  after  crossing  the  line  she  made  202, 
140,  228,  271,  288,  and  293  miles— an  unusual  rate 
of  speed  for  that  part  of  the  ocean.  Her  best 
days'  runs  were  made  on  January  3d  and  4th — 330 
and  326  miles;  her  log  records  on  both  days  "  north- 
erly, strong,"  so  that  it  may  be  assumed  that  she 
had  as  much  fair  wind  as  she  needed.  Her  log 
records  nine  days  during  the  passage  when  her 
runs  were  over  300  miles,  and  five  days  of  less 
than  100  miles.  The  entries  on  December  9th  and 
10th  are:  "Northwesterly,  fresh  gale,  240  miles,*' 
and  "  southwesterly,  blowing  a  gale,  224  miles." 
These  were  fair  winds.  An  analysis  of  this  log 
leads  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Thermopylce  was 
a  very  fast  ship  in  average  weather  at  sea,  but  in 
heavy  weather  could  not  be  driven  at  a  high  rate 
of  speed  for  a  vessel  of  her  length,  probably  on 
account  of  her  small  breadth  and  low  foreboard.^ 

She  next  made  the  run  from  Newcastle,  New  South 
Wales,  to  Shanghai  in  28  days,  which  is  the  record 
between  those  ports.  On  this  passage  large  days' 
runs  are  not  to  be  expected,  but  on  one  day  she 
made  300  miles,  and  she  showed  the  same  fast 
averages  in  moderate  weather  as  before. 

There  was  great  excitement  in  the  hongs  at  the 
coast  ports  of  China  in  this  year   (1869)   when  it 

1  The  Thermopylse  repeated  this  remarkable  passage  of 
sixty- three  days  from  London  to  Melbourne  during  the 
following  year. 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers        335 

became  known  that  the  Thermopylae  was  chartered 
to  load  new  teas  at  Foo-chow  for  London ;  for  no 
racing  yachts  ever  had  firmer  friends  and  backers 
than  the  tea  clippers ;  moreover,  the  rivalry  between 
Aberdeen  and  the  Clyde  was  acute.  Of  late  years 
the  Clyde  clippers  had  carried  all  before  them,  and 
it  was  now  felt  that  Aberdeen  was  about  to  regain 
her  former  glory;  but  this  did  not  prove  to  be  the 
case.  The  Ariel  sailed  from  the  Pagoda  Anchorage 
on  June  30th;  the  Leander,  July  1st;  Thermopylw, 
July  3d ;  Spindrift,  July  4th ;  Taeping,  July  9th,  and 
the  Sir  Launcelot,  July  17th.  They  arrived  off  Deal 
as  follows:  Sir  Launcelot,  89  days;  Thermopylw^ 
91  days;  Taeping,  102  days;  Leander,  103  days; 
Ariel,  104  days,  and  Spindrift,  106  days. 

The  winner,  the  Sir  Launcelot,  was  commanded 
by  Captain  Robinson,  formerly  of  the  Fiery  Cross, 
a  seaman  of  great  energy  and  experience.  On  this 
passage  she  sailed  354  miles  in  twenty-four  hours 
while  running  through  the  trades  in  the  Indian 
Ocean,  which  is  believed  to  be  the  greatest  speed 
ever  made  by  any  of  the  tea  clippers  of  that  period. 
This  vessel  was  886  tons  register;  length  197  feet 
6  inches,  breadth  33  feet  7  inches,  depth  21  feet, 
drawing  18  feet  9  inches  aft  and  18  feet  7  inches 
forward,  and  carried  45,500  square  feet  of  canvas, 
with  a  crew  of  30  hands  all  told.  She  delivered 
1430  tons  of  tea  at  fifty  cubic  feet  per  ton,  and 
in  addition  to  200  tons  of  shingle  ballast,  she  car- 
ried 100  tons  of  kentledge,  cast  to  fit  the  floors 
along  the  keelson  between  the  fore  and  mizzen  masts. 
Her  owner,  James  MacCumm,  of  Greenock,  claimed 
that  she  was  the  fastest  of  the  tea  clippers,  which 


336  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

her  record  passage  of  89  days  from  Foo-chow  to 
London  and  her  twenty-four  hours'  run  of  354  miles 
would  seem  to  justify,  though  there  were  probably 
very  slight  differences  in  speed  between  any  of 
these  vessels  under  similar  conditions  of  wind  and 
weather. 

The  race  of  1870  from  Foo-chow  to  London  was 
won  by  the  Lahloo  in  97  days,  the  other  vessels 
being :  the  Windhover^  100  days ;  Sir  Launcelot,  103 
days  Leander,  103  days;  Thermopylce,  106  days. 
In  1871  the  Titania  won  in  93  days ;  the  Lahloo^  111 
days,  from  Foo-chow  to  London ;  and  from  Shanghai 
to  London  the  Thermopylw  was  106  days;  Cutty 
Sarhy  110  days,  and  Forward  Ho,  118  days.  This 
was  about  the  last  of  the  tea  clipper  racing,  for 
the  combined  competition  of  steam  and  the  Suez 
Canal  proved  too  powerful  for  sail.  No  more  tea 
clippers  were  built  after  18G9;  by  degrees  these 
beautiful  vessels  were  driven  into  other  trades ;  and 
so  the  Clipper  Ship  Era  drifted  into  history. 

Great  Britain  had  regained  her  empire  upon  the 
sea,  and  few  British  ship-owners  could  be  found 
who  any  longer  doubted  the  wisdom  of  Free  Trade. 
Through  the  irony  of  fate,  Duncan  Dunbar,  who 
had  been  one  of  the  most  vehement  opponents  of 
the  repeal  of  the  Navigation  Laws,  became  under 
the  new  conditions,  the  largest  ship-owner  and  one 
of  the  wealthiest  in  the  United  Kingdom,  leaving  at 
his  death  an  estate  of  £1,500,000. 

In  comparing  the  speed  of  the  British  tea  clippers 
with  that  of  American  clipper  ships,  a  good  deal 
depends  on  what  is  meant  by  speed.  In  ordinary 
weather  at  sea,  when  great  power  to  carry  sail  is 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers        337 

not  required,  the  British  tea  clippers  were  extremely 
fast  vessels,  chiefly  on  account  of  their  narrow  beam, 
which  gave  their  hulls  a  comparatively  small  wetted 
surface,  and  their  smooth  copper  bottoms  which 
reduced  skin  resistance.  Under  these  conditions 
they  were,  perhaps,  as  fast  as  the  American  clippers 
of  the  same  class,  though  from  very  different  causes ; 
— such  ships,  for  instance,  as  the  ^ea  Witch,  Samuel 
Russell,  Game  Cock,  Phantom,  White  Squall,  Night- 
ingale, Shooting  Star,  Northern  Light,  Surprise, 
Witch  of  the  Wave,  Sivord-Fish,  and  others.  But 
if  speed  is  to  be  considered  as  the  maximum  per- 
formance of  a  ship  under  the  most  favorable  con- 
ditions, though  these  conditions  may  not  often 
occur,  then  the  British  tea  clippers  were  certainly 
no  match  for  the  larger  American  ships  such  as 
the  Flying  Cloud,  Typhoon,  Neptune's  Car,  Chal- 
lenge, Comet,  Hurricane,  Flying  Fish,  Stag-Hound, 
Young  America,  Trade-Wind,  and  others  of  this 
class,  to  say  nothing  of  the  James  Baines,  Red 
Jacket,  Champion  of  the  Seas,  Lightning,  Sovereign 
of  the  Seas,  and  Great  RepiiMic.  The  greater 
breadth  of  the  American  ships  in  proportion  to  their 
length,  meant,  in  sailing  vessels  of  this  type,  not 
only  power  to  carry  canvas,  but  also  power  in  the 
form  of  buoyancy;  and  this,  with  their  longer  and 
sharper  ends,  enabled  the  American  clippers  to  be 
driven  at  much  greater  speed  than  the  British 
clippers  in  strong  gales  and  before  heavy  seas.  It 
should,  however,  be  remembered  that  none  of  the 
British  tea  clippers  exceeded  1000  tons  register, 
and  it  may  again  be  said  that  they  probably  com- 
bined the  good  qualities  of  a  merchant  ship  in  a 


338  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

higher  degree  than  any  other  vessels  that  have  ever 
been  built. 

The  Melbourne,  already  mentioned,  was  perhaps 
the  fastest  ship  ever  built  in  Great  Britain.  In 
1875,  commanded  by  Captain  Marsden,  she  made 
the  passage  from  London  to  Melbourne  in  the  not 
very  remarkable  time  of '  74  days,  but  when  run- 
ning her  easting  down  in  strong  westerly  gales  she 
sailed  5100  miles  in  17  days,  an  average  of  300  miles 
a  day,  and  her  best  twenty-four  hours'  run  was  374 
miles,  an  average  of  over  l^Vo  knots.  She  was  an 
iron  vessel  of  1865  tons  register;  length  269  feet, 
breadth  40  feet,  depth  23  feet  7  inches,  and  while 
not  an  extreme  clipper,  was  a  finely  designed  ship. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  both  the  American 
and  the  British  clippers  were  dependent  upon  the 
form  of  their  lines  for  stability;  this  problem  in 
their  design  was  therefore  a  far  more  intricate  and 
difficult  one  to  deal  with  than  that  of  producing 
stability  by  hanging  a  huge  mass  of  lead  below 
the  body  of  a  hull,  as  is  the  custom  with  our 
modern  racing  yachts. 

Yachting  is  the  grandest  of  sports  when  yachts- 
men handle  their  yachts  themselves,  and  there  are 
a  good  number  of  yachtsman  who  are  excellent  sea- 
men and  navigators.  It  is  pleasant  to  recall  that 
in  the  race  for  the  Emperor's  Cup  in  1905,  four  of 
the  competing  yachts  were  sailed  and  navigated  by 
their  owners;  and  although  there  is  far  too  much 
wasteful  extravagance  and  enervating  luxury  in 
yachting,  still,  the  increasing  number  of  yachtsmen 
who  show  a  keen  interest  and  are  amateur  experts 
in  the  design,  construction,  rigging,  and  sailing  of 


Later  British  Tea  Clippers         339 

their  yachts,  is  an  encouraging  sign  for  the  future 
of  the  sport. 

Nevertheless,  it  must  be  frankly  admitted  that 
yacht  racing,  even  across  the  Atlantic,  in  compari- 
son with  the  old  clipper  ship  racing,  resembles  snipe 
shooting  as  compared  with  hunting  big  game  in 
the  wilds  of  Africa,  while  the  gold  and  silver  yacht 
racing  cups  appear  as  mere  baubles  beside  the  mo- 
mentous stake  of  commercial  supremacy  for  which 
the  clippers  stretched  their  wings. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE    FATE    OF   THE    CLIPPER    SHIPS 

WE  have  already  seen  how,  about  the  year 
1855,  the  extreme  clippers  were  succeeded 
in  the  United  States  by  a  class  of  vessels  known 
as  medium  clippers.  These  vessels  were  not  so  sharp 
and  did  not  carry  as  heavy  spars  or  so  much  can- 
vas as  the  old  clippers,  but  they  could  carry  more 
cargo  and  could  be  handled  with  fewer  men.  This 
made  them  more  profitable  when  the  demand  for 
speed  and  the  rates  of  freight  had  declined,  and 
the  extreme  clippers  were  unable  to  command  any 
higher  rate  than  the  medium  clippers.  After  the 
Civil  War  ship-building  for  the  oversea  carrying 
trade  steadily  declined,  though  it  was  not  until 
1893  that  the  last  American  wooden  sailing  ship, 
the  Aryan,  was  launched.  During  these  thirty-eight 
years  a  good  many  ships  were  built,  and  by  degrees 
a  new  type  of  vessel,  designed  to  carry  large  cargoes 
at  moderate  speed,  was  developed,  which  enterpris- 
ing agents  advertised  as  clippers;  but  those  who 
had  known  the  real  clippers  were  not  deceived. 
Many  of  the  old  names  survived ;  thus  there  were  a 
second  Memnon,  another  Rainhoiv,  Sea  Witch,  Ori- 
ental, Eclipse,  Comet,  Northern  Lights  Ringleader, 

340 


Fate  of  the  Clipper  Ships  341 

Invincibley  Witch  of  the  Wave,  Blue  Jacket, 
Charmer,  Sovereign  of  the  Seas,  Lightning,  and 
Andreio  Jackson  which  should  not  be  mistaken  for 
the  famous  clippers  after  which  they  were  named. 

One  may  well  ask  what  became  of  all  the  splendid 
clipper  ships?  The  fate  of  some  of  them  has  al- 
ready been  told  in  these  pages,  others  have  disap- 
peared from  one  cause  or  another,  as  time  went 
on,  until  now  scarcely  one  is  left.  During  the  Civil 
War  many  of  them  were  sold  and  sailed  under 
foreign  flags,  their  names  were  changed  and  their 
identity  all  but  lost. 

Of  the  more  famous  early  clippers,  the  Houqua 
foundered  in  a  typhoon  in  the  China  seas  in  1865 
while  under  command  of  Captain  McKenzie.  The 
Sea  Witch  made  her  last  voyage  to  San  Francisco 
in  1852  and  then  returned  to  the  China  trade  for 
which  she  had  been  built.  On  her  voyage  to  China 
in  1855  Captain  Fraser  was  murdered  at  sea  by  his 
chief  mate,  and  the  vessel  put  into  Rio  Janeiro, 
where  Captain  Lang  took  command.  On  the  home- 
ward voyage  from  Amoy  to  Havana  with  a  cargo 
of  coolies,  the  Sea  Witch  was  wrecked  and  became 
a  total  loss  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Cuba,  March  26, 
1856.  The  Samuel  Russell  was  wrecked  in  the 
Caspar  Straits  in  1870,  under  command  of  Captain 
Frederick  Lucas. 

The  Stag-Hound  was  burnt  ofi^  the  coast  of  Brazil 
in  1863,  her  United  States  ensign,  which  the  cap- 
tain brought  off  and  returned  to  the  owners  in  Bos- 
ton, being  the  sole  relic.  The  Surprise,  under  com- 
mand of  Captain  Charles  Ranlett,  struck  a  sunken 
rock  while  beating  into  Yokohama  Bay  and  became  a 


342  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

total  wreck,  February  4,  1876;  the  Game-Cock  was 
condemned  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  in  1880. 

The  Staffordshire  was  lost  off  Cape  Sable,  while 
bound  from  Liverpool  for  Boston  in  December,  1854. 
She  struck  on  a  ledge  during  a  thick  fog  and  found- 
ered in  deep  water.  Two  days  before  her  wreck 
Captain  Richardson  had  fallen  on  deck  and  frac- 
tured his  spine,  and  while  he  lay  helpless  in  his 
berth,  Joseph  Alden,  his  chief  mate,  reported  that 
the  ship  was  sinking.  Captain  Richardson  gave 
directions  to  the  mate  for  saving  the  women  and 
children  passengers,  but  declined  assistance  for 
himself.  His  last  words  were :  "  God's  will  be  done," 
and  as  the  vessel  settled  deeper  and  deeper  in  the 
water  and  the  waves  closed  in  upon  her  deck,  the 
brave  spirit  of  her  captain  returned  to  God  who 
gave  it,  to  join  the  innumerable  host  of  heroes  and 
martyrs  of  the  sea. 

The  Flying  Cloud  was  sold  to  James  Baines  in 
1863  and  was  destroyed  by  fire  at  St.  John, 
N.  B.,  in  1874.  The  Flying  Fish  was  wrecked  in 
November,  1858,  while  coming  out  of  Foo-chow, 
bound  for  New  York  with  a  cargo  of  tea,  and  was 
abandoned  to  the  underwriters,  who  sold  her  to  a 
Spanish  merchant  of  Manila.  She  was  subsequently 
floated  and  rebuilt  at  Wampoa,  her  name  being 
changed  to  El  Bueno  Siiceso.  She  sailed  for  some 
years  between  Manila  and  Cadiz,  and  finally  found- 
ered in  the  China  Sea.  The  Typhoon  was  sold  to 
the  United  States  Government  during  the  Civil  War, 
and  was  finally  broken  up.  The  Northern  Light  was 
abandoned  at  sea,  December  25,  1861,  after  being  in 
collision  while  bound  from  Havre  for  New  York. 


Fate  of  the  Clipper  Ships  343 

The  Comet  was  sold  under  the  British  flag  and 
renamed  the  Fiery  Star.  She  sailed  between  Eng- 
land and  Australia  for  several  years  and  was 
finally  burned  at  sea  in  1865,  while  on  a  voyage 
from  Moreton  Bay,  Queensland,  for  London.  She 
had  been  on  fire  for  twenty-one  days  when  the  crew 
were  rescued  by  the  ship  Dauntless.  The  Trade 
Wind^  while  bound  from  Mobile  for  Liverpool,  in 
1854,  was  in  collision  with  the  ship  Olympus,  from 
Liverpool  for  New  York.  Both  vessels  foundered, 
forty-four  of  the  sixty-four  passengers  and  crew  of 
the  Trade-Wind  and  fifty-two  of  the  fifty-eight  on 
board  the  Olympus  being  rescued  by  the  Belgian 
barque  Stadt  Antwerpen,  Captain  Wyteerhoven,  and 
landed  at  New  York. 

The  Nightingale  was  sold  to  a  firm  in  Salem  and 
sent  to  Rio  Janeiro,  where  she  was  bought  and 
sailed  in  the  African  slave  trade  under  the  Brazil- 
ian flag.  About  the  year  1860  she  was  captured 
by  a  United  States  war-vessel  and  sent  home  as  a 
prize.  She  was  subsequently  fitted  out  by  the  Gov- 
ernment as  an  armed  cruiser  during  the  Civil  War, 
and  at  the  close  of  the  war  was  sold  and  sailed 
in  the  California  and  China  trade.  Later  she  sailed 
for  many  years  under  the  flag  of  Norway.  The 
Shooting  Star  was  sold  to  a  merchant  of  Siam  in 
1862  and  was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Formosa  in 
1867.  Captain  Low  remained  in  command  of  the 
A'.  B.  Palmer  until  she  was  sold  abroad  in  1872. 
The  Tornado,  Whirlwind,  and  Neptune's  Car  were 
sold  in  England  and  disappeared  from  the  Shipping 
Lists  many  years  ago. 

The  Golden  Light  under  command  of  Captain  O. 


344  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

F.  Winsor,  sailed  from  Boston  on  her  first  voyage 
bound  for  San  Francisco,  February  12,  1853,  and 
ten  days  out  was  struck  by  lightning  which  set  fire 
to  cargo  in  the  forehold.  After  every  exertion  had 
been  made  to  save  the  vessel.  Captain  Winsor  gave 
orders  to  abandon  the  ship,  and  at  6  p.m.,  February 
23d,  her  people  took  to  the  boats.  At  that  time  the 
ship  was  in  flames.  Her  foremast  had  burnt  off 
and  fallen ;  soon  after  her  main-  and  mizzen-masts 
went  over  the  side.  She  had  eleven  passengers, 
including  three  ladies  who  were  in  the  long  boat 
with  the  captain.  There  were  five  boats  in  all, 
four  of  which,  after  being  adrift  eight  days,  were 
picked  up  by  the  British  ship  Shand  from  Calcutta 
bound  for  Boston;  the  other  boat,  in  charge  of  the 
mate,  reached  Barbadoes  in  safety,  so  that  all  hands 
were  saved. 

The  Sovereign  of  the  Seas  was  sold  to  a  Hamburg 
firm  and  was  wrecked  on  the  Pyramid  Shoal  in  the 
Straits  of  Malacca,  August  6,  1859,  becoming  a  total 
loss.  The  Contest  and  Winged  Racer  were  de- 
stroyed by  the  Alabama  off  the  coast  of  Java  in 
1863,  and  the  Jacob  Bell  by  the  Florida  during  the 
same  year.  The  Harvey  Birch  was  destroyed  by 
the  Nashville  in  1861.  The  Flying  Dutchman  went 
ashore  on  the  Brigantine  Shoal,  off  the  coast  of 
New  Jersey,  during  a  thick  snowstorm  in  February, 
1858,  and  became  a  total  loss.  The  Highflyer,  un- 
der command  of  Captain  Gordon  B.  Waterman, 
sailed  from  San  Francisco,  October  24,  1856,  bound 
for  Hongkong  and  was  never  heard  from.  The 
John  Gilpin  struck  an  iceberg  off  Cape  Horn  and 
foundered,    January    29,    1858,    while    bound    from 


Fate  of  the  Clipper  Ships  345 

Honolulu  for  New  Bedford  under  command  of  Cap- 
tain John  F.  Ropes,  all  hands,  including  fifteen 
passengers,  being  saved  by  the  British  ship 
Herefordshire. 

The  Phantom  was  lost  on  Prates  Shoal,  about  two 
hundred  miles  east-southeast  of  Hong-kong,  in  1862, 
while  under  command  of  Captain  Henry  Sargent. 
All  hands  were  saved  in  the  boats,  which  reached 
Hong-kong  safely,  and  a  large  amount  of  treasure 
that  she  had  on  board  was  also  saved.  Captain 
Sargent  received  great  credit  for  his  brave  and 
judicious  action  at  the  time  of  the  wreck;  for  in 
those  days  the  China  Sea  was  filled  with  junks 
whose  crews  required  only  the  sight  of  a  vessel  in  dis- 
tress to  turn  them  into  most  barbarous  pirates.  Cap- 
tain Sargent  soon  after  took  command  of  the  clipper 
barque  Emily  C.  Starr  and  sailed  from  Shanghai  for 
Yokohama.  She  was  never  heard  from,  and  it  was 
supposed  that  she  foundered  in  a  typhoon.  Captain 
Sargent  belonged  to  an  old  Boston  family  whose 
home  was  on  Beacon  Street.  He  had  sailed  with 
Captain  Nickels  in  the  Flying  Fish  and  had  also 
commanded  the  ship  Rockland,  He  was  one  of  the 
youngest  and  most  accomplished  of  all  the  Ameri- 
can clipper  ship  captains. 

The  Bald  Eagle  and  Romance  of  the  Seas  both 
sailed  from  Hong-kong  in  1860  and  were  never  heard 
from.     The  Reporter  foundered  off  Cape  Horn   in 

1863,  and  in  the  same  year  the  Undaunted  was 
condemned  at  Rio  Janeiro. 

The  Sweepstakes  was  condemned  in  Batavia  in 

1864.  The  Great  Repuhlic  was  sold  to  the  Mer- 
chants' Trading  Company,  of  Liverpool,  in  1869  and 


346  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

her  name  was  changed  to  the  Denmark.  She  finally 
foundered  in  a  hurricane  off  Bermuda  in  1872.  The 
Morning  Star  was  sold  to  a  Liverpool  firm,  who 
renamed  her  the  Rockingham;  she  foundered  while 
01'  a  voyage  from  Samarang  for  Falmouth  in  1879. 
The  Ocean  Telegraph  was  sold  to  an  English  firm 
and  renamed  the  Light  Brigade  and  was  finally 
condemned  at  Gibraltar  and  converted  into  a  coal 
hulk. 

The  Marco  Polo,  Red  Jacket,  and  Donald  McKay 
ended  their  days  in  the  Quebec  lumber  trade,  and 
the  Lightning  disappeared  from  the  Shipping  List 
in  1866.  The  Champion  of  the  Seas  foundered 
while  homeward  bound  round  Cape  Horn  in  1877. 
The  James  Baines  was  burnt  at  Liverpool  in  1858, 
and  her  wreck  was  converted  into  the  old  landing 
stage  for  Atlantic  steamship  passengers,  few  of 
whom  probably  realized  that  they  were  walking 
over  the  remains  of  one  of  the  grandest  ships  that 
ever  sailed  the  sea. 

Of  the  British-built  clippers,  the  first  Lord  of  the 
Isles  built  in  1854  was  burnt  in  1862.  The  second 
of  the  name,  built  in  1864  by  Robert  Steele,  of 
Greenock,  was  sold  in  France  and  became  known 
as  the  Paul  Albert.  The  Spindrift  and  Serica  were 
both  wrecked  in  1869.  The  Forward  Ho  was  lost 
in  1881.  The  Sir  Launcelot  was  sold  to  a  merchant 
of  Bombay  and  sailed  for  many  years  between  that 
port  and  Mauritius,  and  was  finally  wrecked  in 
1895.  The  Cutty  Sark  was  sold  to  a  merchant  in 
Lisbon  in  1895.  The  Chinaman  was  sunk  by  a 
steamer  on  the  coast  of  China  in  1880.  The  Witid- 
hover  was  wrecked   on   the  coast   of  Australia  in 


Fate  of  the  Clipper  Ships  347 

1884.  The  Falcon  was  sold  in  Australia,  her  name 
being  changed  to  the  Sophia  Branilla.  She  was 
wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Java  in  1871.  The  Ther- 
rnopijlw  is  now  a  schoolship  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Tagus.  The  Yang-tze  was  lost  in  1872.  The  first 
GuUicvcre,  built  by  Robert  Steele,  in  1862,  was  lost 
in  1866,  while  the  second  GuUicvcre,  built  by  Ran- 
dolph Elder  &  Co.,  in  1868,  was  sold  in  Norway. 
The  Ariel  sailed  for  Melbolirne  and  was  never  heard 
from.  The  T  ait  sing  was  wrecked  on  the  coast  of 
Zanzibar  in  1883. 

The  Titania  is  the  only  one  of  all  the  old  clipper 
ships  that  can  now  be  traced  as  in  active  service. 
She  is  owned  by  Madame  Maresca,  of  Castellamare, 
and  sails  under  the  flag  of  Italy,  usually  between 
European  and  South  American  ports.  A  few  years 
ago  she  arrived  at  New  York,  and  I  was  much  in- 
terested in  going  on  board  of  her,  as  I  had  known 
the  ship  and  her  captain  many  years  before  in 
China.  She  appeared  so  little  changed  that  it  was 
difficult  to  realize  that  nearly  forty  years  had 
passed  away  since  I  last  stood  upon  her  deck  one 
bright  June  morning  at  the  Pagoda  Anchorage, 
bidding  Captain  Burgoyne  good-bye  as  he  was  get- 
ting under  way  bound  for  London  with  new  teas. 
Her  spars  had  been  somewhat  reduced  and  her  rig 
changed  to  a  barque,  but  the  beautiful  India  teak 
used  in  the  construction  of  her  hull,  decks,  and 
bulwarks,  with  the  polished  brasswork-of  her  rails, 
skylights,  bells,  and  capstans,  blinking  cheerfully  in 
the  autumn  sunshine,  seemed  to  have  paid  little  heed 
to  the  flight  and  ravages  of  time. 


348  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

And  so  I  have  endeavored  to  record  the  leading 
events  of  an  era  in  maritime  history  long  ago  de- 
parted; and  however  much  the  remarkable  develop- 
ment of  steam  navigation  may  have  contributed  to 
the  welfare  of  mankind,  I  think  that  the  memory 
of  the  clipper  ships  and  the  men  who  built  and 
commanded  them,  will  always  find  a  welcome  in 
the  hearts  of  those  who  know  and  love  the  sea. 


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Appendix  II 


RECORD    PASSAGES    OF    THE    CALIFORNIA    CLIPPER    SHIPS 

MADE   IN   110   DAYS   OR   LESS   FROM    1850   TO    1860, 

INCLUSIVE 


1850 


PORT  OF 

ARRIVAL  AT 

SHIP 

DEPARTURE 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

DAYS 

Celestial 

New  York 

November  1 

104 

Race  Horse 

Boston 

November  24 

109 

Samuel   Russell 

New  York 

May  1 

109 

Sea  Witch 

New  York 
1851 

July  24 

97 

Challenge 

New  York 

October  29 

108 

Flying  Cloud 

New  York 

August  31 

89 

N.  B.  Palmer 

New  York 

August  21 

106 

Raven 

Boston 

November  19 

105 

Sea  Witch 

New  York 

November  20 

110 

Seaman 

New  York 

March  11 

107 

Stag-Hound 

New  York 

May  26 

107 

Surprise 

New  York 

March  19 

96 

Typhoon 

New  York 

November  18 

106 

Witchcraft 

New  York 
1852 

August  11 

103 

Celestial 

New  York 

February  17 

106 

Comet 

New  York 

January  13 

103 

365 


366 


The  Clipper  Ship  Era 


PORT  OF 

ARRIVAL  AT 

SHIP 

DEPARTURE 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

DAYS 

Courser 

Boston 

April  28 

108 

Eclipse 

New  York 

April  22 

104 

Northern  Light 

Boston 

March  8 

109 

Sea  Witch 

New  York 

December  8 

108 

Staffordshire 

Boston 

August  13 

101 

Sword-Fish 

New  York 

February  10 

90 

Flying  Fish 

Boston 

February  17 

98 

John  Bertram 

Boston 

March  26 

105 

Shooting  Star 

Boston 

August  17 

105 

White  Squall 

New  York 

July  29 

110 

Wild  Pigeon 

New  York 

January  28 

104 

Sovereigyi  of  the  Seas 

New  York 
1853 

November  15 

103 

Bald  Eagle 

New  York 

April  11 

107 

Contest 

New  York 

February   24 

108 

Contest 

New  York 

October  24 

97 

Flying  Cloud 

New  York 

August  12 

105 

Flying  Dutchman 

New  York 

January  27 

104 

Flying  Dutchinan 

New  York 

October  7 

106 

Flying  Fish 

New  York 

February  1 

92 

Golden  Age  (barque) 

Boston 

May  31 

103 

Golden  Gate 

New  York 

March  20 

102 

Hornet 

New  York 

August  12 

105 

Invincible 

New  York 

September  9 

110 

John  Gilpin 

New  York 

February  2 

93 

Meteor 

Boston 

March  10 

110 

Oriental 

New  York 

May  7 

100 

Phantom 

Boston 

April  21 

104 

Rehekah  (barque) 

Baltimore 

May  10 

106 

Sea  Serpent 

New  York 

June  1 

107 

Sword-Fish 

New  York 

May  30 

105 

Storm  (barque) 

New  York 

April  10 

109 

Tornado 

New  York 

May  2 

109 

Trade-Wind 

New  York 

February  24 

102 

Westward  Ho 

Boston 

February  1 

103 

Witchcraft 

New  York 

July  8 

110 

Appendix 


367 


PORT  OF 

ARRIVAL  AT 

SHIP 

DEPARTURE 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

DAYS 

Winged  Racer 

New  York 

March  30 

105 

Young  America 

New  York 
1854 

August  29 

110 

Archer 

New  York 

April  29 

106 

Challenger 

Boston 

June  9 

110 

Courier 

Boston 

April  28 

108 

David  Brown 

New  York 

March  23 

98 

Eagle 

New  York 

February  16 

103 

Eagle  Wing 

Boston 

April  5 

106 

Flying  Cloud 

New  York 

April  20 

89 

Golden  City 

New  York 

February  8 

105 

Herald  of  the  Morning 

Boston 

May  7 

106 

Hurricane 

New  York 

September  4 

99 

Matchless 

Boston 

February  8 

109 

Pamparo 

New  York 

January  25 

105 

Polynesia 

New  York 

April  10 

104 

Ringleader 

Boston 

February  8 

109 

Romance  of  the  Seas 

Boston 

March  23 

96 

Samuel  Russell 

New  York 

January  20 

106 

San  Francisco 

New  York 

February  8 

105 

Stag-Hound 

New  York 

August  14 

110 

Westward  Ho 

New  York 

February  28 

106 

Witchcraft 

New  York 

August  15 

97 

Young  America 

New  York 

October  20 

110 

1855 


Boston  Light 

Boston 

April  11 

102 

Cleopatra 

New  York 

March  4 

107 

Don  Quixote 

Boston 

March  29 

108 

Electric 

New  York 

March  4 

109 

Flying  Cloud 

New  York 

June  6 

108 

Flying  Fish 

Boston 

January  10 

109 

Flying  Fish 

Boston 

December  27 

105 

Golden  Eagle 

New  York 

August  25 

106 

368 


The  Clipper  Ship  Era 


PORT  OF 

ARRIVAL  AT 

SHIP 

DEPARTURE 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

DAYS 

Governor  Morton 

New  York 

April  2 

104 

Greenfield  (barque) 

New  York 

May  6 

110 

Herald  of  the  Morning 

New  York 

May  16 

99 

Meteor 

Boston 

August  30 

108 

Neptune's  Car 

New  York 

April  25 

100 

Red  Rover 

New  York 

June  13 

107 

Telegraph 

Boston 

April  9 

109 

Westward  Ho 

Boston 

April  24 

100 

1856 


Antelope 

New  York 

March  15 

97 

David  Brown 

New  York 

April  28 

103 

Don  Quixote 

Boston 

May  31 

108 

Electric  Spark 

Boston 

April  9 

106 

Flyaway 

New  York 

April  8 

106 

Mary  L.  Sutton 

New  York 

July  20 

110 

North  Wind 

Boston 

July  21 

110 

Phantom 

New  York 

April  29 

101 

Red  Rover 

New  York 

April  7 

110 

Reporter 

New  York 

March  27 

107 

Ringleader 

Boston 

February  3 

106 

Sweepstakes 

New  York 

May  25 

94 

Tornado 

New  York 

March  27 

110 

Wild  Hunter 

Boston 

April  29 

108 

Young  America 

New  York 

October  14 

107 

1857 


Andrew  Jackson 
Flying  Dragon 
Flying   Dutchman 
Flying  Fish 
John  Land 
Reporter 
,  Westward  Ho 


New  York 
New  York 
New  York 
Boston 
New  York 
New  York 
New  York 


February  28        100 

April  10  97 
September  10      102 

October  2  100 

July  30  104 

April  17  110 

March  26  100 


Appendix 

369 

1858 

PORT  OF 

ARRIVAL  AT 

SHIP 

DEPARTURE 

SAN  FRANCISCO 

DAYS 

Andrew  Jackson 

New  York 

April  27 

103 

Dashing  Wave 

New  York 

August  18 

107 

Don  Quixote 

New  York 

March  4 

108 

Esther  May 

Boston 

May  19 

103 

John  LaJid 

New  York 

July  24 

108 

Twilight 

New  York 
1859 

April  16 

100 

Andrew  Jackson 

New  York 

April  5 

102 

Robin  Hood 

New  York 

March  25 

107 

Sierra  Nevada 

New  York 

December  17 

97 

Young  America 

New  York 
1860 

July  24 

105 

Andrew  Jackson 

New  York 

March  23 

89 

Archer 

New  York 

March  18 

106 

Lookout 

New  York 

February  20 

108 

Mary  L.  Sutton 

New  York 

May  12 

103 

Ocean   Telegraph 

New  York 

March  13 

109 

White  Swallow 

New  York 

August  7 

110 

During  the  forty-five  years  that  have  elapsed  since  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War  a  large  number  of  sailing  ships 
have  been  built  for  the  California  trade,  and  it  is  a  notable 
fact  that  only  two  of  these  vessels  made  the  passage  from 
an  Atlantic  port  to  San  Francisco  in  less  than  one  hun- 
dred days.  The  Seminole,  built  by  Maxon  &  Fish  at 
Mystic,  Connecticut,  in  1865,  arrived  at  San  Francisco 
from  New  York,  March  10,  1866,  in  96  days,  and  the 
Glory  of  the  Seas,  already  mentioned  as  the  last  ship 
built  by  Donald  McKay,  made  the  same  voyage,  arriving 
at  San  Francisco,  January  18,  1874,  in  94  days. 

The  two  most  successful  ships  in  after  years  were  the 
David  Crocket  and   Young  America.     Both  were  built  in 


370  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

1853,  and  both  continued  in  the  San  Francisco  trade  until 
1883,  during  which  time  the  David  Crockett  made  her 
best  twelve  passages  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco 
in  an  average  of  109  -^  days  each,  her  best  being  102 
days  in  1872.  The  Young  America,  during  this  period 
also  made  twelve  passages  in  an  average  of  110 -X- days 
each,  her  best  being  102  days  in  1880. 

As  these  ships  were  by  many  years  the  oldest  survivors 
of  the  California  clippers,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  rivalry 
between  them,  and  their  records  show  that  they  were 
very  evenly  matched.  It  should,  however,  be  remembered 
that  about  the  year  1860  their  spars  and  canvas  were 
considerably  reduced  and  that  they  were  fitted  with  double 
topsail  yards,  all  of  which  hampered  their  speed  in 
moderate  weather.  Indeed,  they  resembled  two  faded 
beauties  who  in  their  youth  had  been  rival  belles. 


Appendix  III 

CHINA    TEA    CLIPPERS,    1859-1869 


SHIP 


CONSTRUC- 
TONS       TION 


BUILDER 


YEAR 


Falcon 


937  Wood 


Isle  of  the  South  821 
Fiery  Cross  888 

Min  629 


Kelso 

Belted  Will 
Serica 

556 

812 
708 

« 

Taeping 

767 

Composite 

Eliza  Shaiv 

696 

« 

Yang-tze 
Black  Prince 
Ariel 

688 
750 
853 

« 

Ada 

Sir  Launcelot 

686 
886 

« 

T  ait  sing 
Titania 

815 
879 

« 

Spindrift 
Forward  Ho 

899 
943 

it 

it 

Robert     Steele     &     Sons, 

Greenock  1859 

Laing  &  Co.,  Sunderland  1859 
Chalour  &  Co.,  Liverpool  1860 
Robert     Steele     &     Sons, 

Greenock  1861 

Pile  &  Co.,  Sunderland  1861 
Feel  &  Co.,  Workington  1863 
Robert      Steele     &      Sons, 

Greenock  1863 

Robert     Steele     &     Sons, 

Greenock  1863 

Alexander   Stephen,    Glas- 
gow 1868 
Alexander  Hall,  Aberdeen  1863 
Alexander  Hall,  Aberdeen  1863 
Robert     Steele     &     Sons, 

Greenock  1865 

Alexander  Hall,  Aberdeen  1865 
Robert     Steele     &     Sons, 

Greenock  1865 

Connell  &  Co.,  Glasgow  1865 
Robert     Steele     &     Sons, 

Greenock  1866 

Connell   &  Co.,   Glasgow      1867 
Alexander   Stephen,    Glas- 
gow 1867 

371 


372 


The  Clipper  Ship  Era 


CONSTRUC- 

SHIP 

TONS 

TION 

BUILDER 

YEAR 

Leander 

883  C 

omposite 

Lawrie  &  Co.,  Glasgow 

1867 

Lahloo 

779 

« 

Robert  Steele  &  Sons, 
Greenock 

1867 

Ihermopylas 

947 

« 

Walter  Hood,  Aberdeen 

1868 

Windhover 

847 

« 

Connell  &  Co.,  Glasgow 

1868 

Cutty  Sark 

921 

« 

Scott  &  Co.,  Dumbarton 

1868 

Caliph 

914 

ii 

Alexander  Hall,  Aberdeen 

1869 

Wylo 

799 

« 

Robert  Steele  &  Sons, 
Greenock 

1869 

Kaisow 

795 

n 

Robert  Steele  &  Sons, 
Greenock 

1869 

Lothair 

794 

« 

Walker  &  Son,  London 

1869 

Appendix  IV 

RULES  FOR  TONNAGE    MEASUREMENTS 

The  English  system  of  measuring  the  tonnage  of  ves- 
sels in  the  eighteenth  century  is  given  in  Falconer's 
Marine  Dictionary,  1780,  as  follows: 

"  To  determine  the  burden,  or,  in  other  words,  the  ton- 
age,  of  a  ship,  it  is  usual  to  multiply  the  length  of  keel 
into  the  extreme  breadth  of  the  ship  within  board,  taken 
along  the  midship  beam,  and  multiplying  the  product  by 
the  depth  in  the  hold  from  the  plank  joining  to  the  keel- 
son upwards  to  the  main-deck,  and  divide  the  last  product 
by  94;  then  will  the  quotient  be  the  burden  required,  in 
tons." 

This  rule  continued  in  force  till  1819,  when  it  was 
changed  by  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty 
as  follows: 

"  Multiply  the  length  of  the  keel  by  the  breadth  of 
beam,  and  that  product  by  half  the  breadth  of  beam,  and 
divide  the  last  product  by  94,  and  the  quotient  will  be  the 
tonnage "  (Marine  Dictionary,  William  Bumey,  LL.D., 
1830).  Dr.  Burney  remarks:  "It  appears  from  the  gen- 
eral construction  of  merchant  ships,  that  more  attention 
is  paid  to  evade  the  tax  on  tonnage  than  to  their  sailing 
well  with  the  wind  in  different  directions;  and  if  the  real 
tonnage  of  ships  were  taken,  an  alteration  would  soon  be 
made  in  the  construction  for  the  better." 

This  form  of  the  rule  continued  until  1842,  when  by 
Act  of  Parliament  the  following  method  was  adopted : 

"  Divide  the  length  of  the  upper  deck  between  the  after 
part  of  the  stem  and  the  fore  part  of  the  stern-post  into 
six  equal  parts.  Depths :  at  the  foremost,  the  middle,  and 
the  aftermost  of  these  points  of  division,  measure  in  feet 

373 


374  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

and  decimal  parts  of  a  foot  the  depths  from  the  under 
side  of  the  upper  deck  to  the  ceiling  at  the  limber  strake. 
In  the  case  of  a  break  in  the  upper  deck,  the  depths  are 
to  be  measured  from  a  line  stretched  in  a  continuation  of 
the  deck.  Breadths:  Divide  each  of  those  three  depths 
into  five  equal  parts,  and  measure  the  inside  breadths  at 
the  following  points — viz.,  at  one  fifth  and  at  four  fifths 
from  the  upper  deck  of  the  foremost  and  aftermost  depths, 
and  at  two  fifths  and  four  fifths  from  the  upper  deck  of 
the  midship  depth.  Length:  At  half  the  midship  depth, 
measure  the  length  of  the  vessel  from  the  after  part  of 
the  stem  to  the  fore  part  of  the  stem-post;  then,  to  twice 
the  midship  depth  add  the  foremost  and  the  aftermost 
depths;  add  together  the  upper  and  lower  breadths  at  the 
foremost  division,  three  times  the  upper  breadth,  and  the 
lower  breadth,  at  the  midship  division  and  the  upper  and 
twice  the  lower  breadth  at  the  after  division,  for  the  sum 
of  the  breadths;  then  multiply  the  sum  of  the  depths  by 
the  sum  of  the  breadths,  and  this  product  by  the  length, 
and  divide  the  final  product  by  three  thousand  five  hun- 
dred, which  will  give  the  number  of  tons  for  register " 
(Young's  Marine  Dictionary,  1846). 

In  1854  this  rule  was  changed  by  the  Merchant  Ship- 
ping Act,  which  provided  that  the  actual  cubic  contents 
of  a  vessel's  hull  should  be  measured,  a  registered  ton 
being  reckoned  as  100  cubic  feet.  This  is  known  as  thQ 
Moorsom  system,  and  is  still  in  use  and  likely  to  continue. 
It  was  adopted  by  the  United  States  in  1865;  Denmark, 
1867;  Austria,  1871;  Germany,  France,  and  Italy,  1873; 
Spain,  1874;  and  Sweden,  1875. 

The  old  practice  of  calculating  tonnage  in  the  United 
States  was  adapted  from  the  English,  and  the  mode  of 
measurement  was  as  follows: 

The  length  was  measured  on  deck  from  the  fore  part 
of  the  stem  to  the  after  part  of  the  stern-post;  the 
breadth  from  outside  to  outside  planking  at  the  broadest 
part  of  the  vessel;  the  depth  of  the  hold  from  the  plank 
on  deck  to  the  ceiling  of  the  hold.  This  last  measurement 
was  not  used,  the  depth  of  a  vessel  for  tonnage  purposes 
being  assumed  to  be  one  half  of  her  breadth.    In  order 


Appendix  375 

to  find  the  tonnage,  three  fifths  of  the  breadth  were  de- 
ducted from  the  length  and  the  remainder  multiplied  by 
the  breadth,  and  this  product  multiplied  by  one  half 
the  breadth,  or  the  assumed  depth,  the  last  product  was 
then  divided  by  95,  giving  the  formula: 

(L-3/gB)    X  B  X  1/2  B 
95 
Thus  in  a  vessel  measuring  100  ft.  x  20  ft.  x  18  ft.: 

Length  of  vessel 100 

Subtract  3/g  breadth 12 

Length  for  measurement 88 

Multiply  by  the  breadth 20 

1760 
Multiply  by  half  breadth 10 

17,600 
Divide  17,600  by  95 and 

the  result  is 185-j-  1 3y^ 

Total  tonnage 185-^12/^  ^ 

This  mode  of  measurement  continued  from  colonial 
times  until  the  Moorsom  system  was  adopted  in  1865. 

The  dimensions  of  ten  representative  American  and 
British  clippers  were  as  follows: 

Length       Breadth 
Nightingale    (1851) 178"        ..36" 

American  OrieniaZ    (1849) 183ft.        ..36ft. 

Celestial    (1850) 158  "         . .  34  "  6  in. 

Stag-Hound  (1850) 209  "         ..39  " 

Flying    Dutchman  (lSb2)  .187  "         ..38  "  6  in. 

British        Falcon    (1859) 191   "  4in.  .32  "  2  in. 

Taitsing    (1865) 192  "         ..31  "  5  in. 

Titania    (1866) 200  "         .  .35  " 

Spindrift    (1867) 219  "  4  in.  .35  "  6  in. 

Thermopylse     (1868) 210"        ..36" 


376  The  Clipper  Ship  Era 

Although  these  British  ships  show  less  breadth  than 
the  American,  yet  they  have  more  breadth  in  proportion 
to  length  than  the  earlier  British  clippers,  such  as  the 
Stornoway  (1850),  Lord  of  the  Isles  (1855),  etc. 


INDEX 


Vessels  not  otherwise  designated  are  American 


Abbot  Lawrence,  medium 
clipper  ship,  255,  256,  258 

Abergeldie,  British  clipper 
ship,  205 

Abrahams,  J.,  builder,  Bal- 
timore, 357,  362 

Abrahams  &  Ashcroft,  own- 
ers, Baltimore,  357 

Achilles,  British  iron  screw 
steamer,  332 

Ackley,  Samuel,  builder 
N.  Y.,  16,  17 

Ada,  Brit,  clipper  ship,  tea- 
trade,  325-6,  371 

Adamson  &  Bell,  China 
merchants,  325 

Adelaide,  packet  ship,  44 

. clipper  ship,  298,  360 

British  iron  screw 

steamer,  286 

Admiral  Gardner,  Brit.  E. 
Indiamen,  25 

Adriatic,  Collins  Line  S.  S., 
49,  250;  med.  clipper 
ship,  258 

Ajax,  Brit,  iron  screw 
steamer,  332 

Akbar,  clipper  ship,  China 
trade,  62,  138 

Alarm,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
289,  299,  363 

Albert  Gallatin,  packet  ship, 
42,  48,  142 

Albion,  packet  ship,  38 

Alert,  Cal.  clipper  ship,  350 


Alexander  Marshall,  packet 
ship,  41 

Alfred,  Brit,  ship,  36-37 

Alhambra,  med.  clipper 
ship,  258,  291 

Allen,  Wm.  H.,  N.  Y.  packet 
captain,  44 

Alliancey  U.  S.  frigate,  1778, 
6,7 

Alsop  &  Co.,  S.  Francisco, 
agents  of  Challenge,  187 

Amelia  Packet,  Brit,  barque, 
180 

America,  Brit,  fifty-gun 
frigate,  built  at  Ports- 
mouth, N.  H.,  9 

Amos  Lawrence,  med.  clip- 
per ship,  255 

Amphitrite,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  232,  256 

Andrew  Jackson,  Cal.  med. 
clipper  ship,  253,  295; 
362;  89  days  to  S.  Fran- 
cisco, 144,  178,  296,  300, 
369;  other  records,  247, 
295,  297,  298,  368 

Andrews,  Capt.,  later  ship, 
341;  Red  Gauntlet,  359 

Anglo-American,  packet 
ship,  56 

Anglo-Saxon,  packet  ship, 
56 

Angola,  clipper  schooner, 
opium  trade,  58 

Ann  McKim,  first  clipper 
ship  built,  60-2 

Antarctic,  ship,  56 


377 


378 


Index 


Antelope,    clipper    brig, 

opium      trade,      58,      59, 

138 
Cal.  clipper  ship,  353; 

records,     290,     296.,    298, 

299,  368 
Appleton,  Wm.,  shipowner, 

Boston,  361 
Archer,    Cal.    clipper    ship, 

248,    356;    records,    248, 

298,  299,  367,  369 
Architect,  clipper  ship,  70 
Arctic,  Collins   Line   S.    S., 

309 
Arey,  Capt.,  Spitfire,  359 
Argo,   Brit.,   first  merchant 

ship    with    steam    power 

to     circumnavigate     the 

glebe,  287 
Argonaut,  clipper  ship,  196 
Ariel,  clipper  schooner, 

opium  trade,  58 
clipper      ship,      China 

trade,  68 

Cal.  clipper  ship,  353 

Brit,   clipper  ship,  tea 


trade,      324,      347,      371; 

racer,  324-30,  332-3,  335 
Aristides,    Brit,    ship,   Aus- 
tralian trade,  333 
Arizona,   S.   S.,  278 
Aryan,  last   Amer.   wooden 

sailing  ship,  1893,  340 
Ashburton,    N.    Y.    packet, 

41,  54 
Atlanta,   clipper   ship,   Cal. 

trade,  298,  299 
Atla7itic,  first  Amer.  ship  in 

India,  12-13 
Aurora,  ship,  236,  299 
Austerlitz,  ship,  193 
Austin  &  Co.,  builders, 

Damariscotta,  Me.,  356 
Australian,    Brit,    screw 

steamer,  286 
Avery,  Capt.,  Euterpe,  363 
Aymer  &  Co.,  owners,  N.  Y., 

359 


B 


Babcock,  Col.  Harry,  160 

Maj.  Paul,  84,  160 

Capt.     David     S.,    84; 

Sword  Fish,  160-1,  213, 
352 ;  Young  America,  233, 
360 
Bacon,  Daniel  C,  owner, 
135,  349;  Pres.  Amer. 
Nav.  Club,  202-4 

D.  G.  &  W.  B.,  owners, 

304,  358 
Bailey,  Capt.,  Yorkshire,  46 
Baines,      James,     owner, 

L'pool,  342 
&  Co.,  L'pool,  Austra- 
lian Black  Ball  Line,  266, 
268,  272;  vessels  for,  273, 
284 
Baker,  Capt.,  352,  357,  363 
Baker    &    Morrill,    owners, 
Boston,  352,  355,  357,  361, 
363 
Bald    Eagle,    Cal.     clipper 
ship,  216,  237,  343,  353; 
story  of  race,  200-2;  re- 
cords, 299,  300,  366 
Baltic,    med.    clipper    ship, 
258 

Collins  Line  S.  S.,  309 

Baltimore,  shipbuilding,  54, 
60-62,   70,  136,  254,  350, 
357,  362 
Baltimore,     Havre     packet 

ship,  41 
Bangs,    Benj.,   owner,    Bos- 
ton, 360 
Barclay  &  Livingston,  own- 
ers, N.  Y.,  159,  352 
Baring  Bros.  &  Co.,  203-4 
Barrington,  ship,  193 
Barry,  Commodore,  11 
Barry,  Capt.,  Saracen,  361 
Barstow,  Gideon,  of  E.  Bos- 
ton Timber  Co.,  49 
Barstow,  Capt,  351,  354 
Bartlett,  Capt.,  352 


Index 


379 


Barwell,  Capt.,  362 

Bates    &    Thaxter,    owners, 

Boston,  362 
Bath,      Me.,      shipbuilding, 

105,    152,    351,    353,    357, 
Bavaria,  packet  ship,  48 
Baxter,  Capt.,  Nabob,  361 
Beacon   Light,   Cal.   clipper 

ship,  362 
Beauchamp,     Capt.     Isaac, 

Defender,  255 
Beauregard,        Confederate 

privateer,  14 
Beaver,   ship,  China   trade, 

17 
Bell,  Jacob,  builder,  N.  Y., 

47,  136,  152,  164,  216,  352, 

354,  358,  360;  see  Brown 
Bell    &    Co.,   builders,    Bal- 
timore, 136,  350 
Belle    of    the    Sea,    clipper 

ship,     Australian     trade, 

284 
Belle     of    the    West,    Cal. 

clipper  ship,  299,  356 
Belted    Will,    Brit,    clipper 

ship,  tea  trade,  320,  371 
Ben    Nevis,     Brit,     clipper 

ship,     Australian     trade, 

266,  268 
Benefactor,   clipper  barque, 

China  trade,  209 
Bengal,  ship,  193 
Benjamin,  Capt.,  Helena,  62 
Bennett,  Capt.,  Oliver  Ells- 
worth, 16 
Bergh,    Christian,    builder, 

N.  Y.,  17,  47,  48 
Berry,  Capt.,  Courser,  350 
Bertram,  Capt.  John,  Salem, 

141,   166-8 
Best  days'  run,  69,  70,  178, 

179,    207,    220,    221,    228, 

266,    278,    281,    295,    320, 

327,  330,  334,  336,  338 
Bishop,   J.,   &   Co.,   owners, 

N.  Y.,  358 
Black    Ball    Line,     N.     Y., 


L'pool  packets,  38,  39-40, 

41,  42;  vessels,  38,  41,  52; 

flag,  42;  match,  45;  cap- 
tains,   39-40;    discipline, 

44,  73 
Australian      clippers,      see 

James  Baines  &  Co. 
Black    Hatvk,    Cal.    clipper 

ships    (Webb),  291,  364; 
(Currier),  364 
Black  Prince,   Brit,   clipper 

ship,  tea  trade,  322,  371; 

race,  325-6 

Cal.  clipper  ship,  360 

Black  Warrior,  Cal.  clipper 

ship,  356 
Blenheim,     Brit,     merchant 

frigate,  36 
Blessing   of   the   Bay,   colo- 
nial barque,  1631,  2 
Blue    Jacket,    clipper    ship, 

Australian     trade,     270  j 

later  ship,  341 
Bombay,  Brit.  E.  Indiaman, 

34 
Bonita,    Cal.    clipper    ship, 

356 
Bordman,    Wm.    H.,    Amer. 

Nav.  Club,  202 
Borland,     Capt.,     Gauntlet, 

357 
Borrows  &  Spooner,  owners, 

N.  Y.,  84 
Boston,  packet  ship,  52 
Boston  Light,  clipper  ship, 

253,  300,  356 
Boston  &  Liverpool  Packet 

Company,  51-2 
Bowditch,  Nath.,  navigator, 

141 
Bowers,  Capt.,  Black  Hawk. 

364 
Boyd,  Col.  Geo.,  1767,  53 
Boyd,    F.,    &    Co.,    owners, 

Boston,  359 
Brenda,  packet  ship,  52 
Brewster,   Capt.    Geo.,   249, 

356  * 


38o 


Index 


Brewster,  Capt.  Wm.,  227 

Briganza,  ship,  eighteenth 
century,  16 

Briggs  Brothers  (E.  &  H. 
O.),  builders,  South  Bos- 
ton, 50-1;  Cal.  clippers, 
152,  163,  233,  351-63 

Brighton,  packet  ship,  40 

Britannia,  Black  Ball 
packet  ship,  38,  43,  47,  73 

Britton,  Capt.  John,  Con- 
stitution, 43 

Brookline,  ship,  52 

Brower,  J.  H.,  &  Co.,  own- 
ers, N.  Y.,  295,  361, 
362 

Brown,  Adam  &  Noah, 
builders,  17 

Charles,  builder,  N.  Y., 

17 

■  David,    of     Brown     & 

Bell,  47 

Vernon  H.,  owner,  303 

Bates  &  Delano,  build- 


ers, E.  Boston,  50 

&  Bell,  builders,  N.  Y. 


47-8,  53,  58,  63,  70,  72 
Brown,  Capt.,  359,  360 
Bryant  &   Sturgis,   owners, 

Boston,  52 
Bucephalus,  Brit,  frigate,  36 
Buckinghamshire,    Brit.    E. 

Indiaman,  32,  34 
Bucklin  &  Crane,  owners  of 

first     Cal.     clipper     ship, 

N.  Y.,  135,  159,  349,  350, 

363,  364 
Burgess,  see  Snow,  owners, 

304 
Burgess,  Capt.,  349,  355 
Burgoyne,    Capt.,     Titania, 

347 
Bursley,  Capt.  Ira,  43,  350, 

356 
Bush  &   Comstock,   owners, 

Boston,  360,  362 
Bush     &     Wildes,     owners, 

Boston,  362 


Cairngorm,  Brit,  clipper 
ship,  China  trade,  208 

Cairo,  ship,  Boston,  54 

Caledonia,   ship,  47 

Calhoun,  ship,  47 

California,  Pacific  Mail, 
S.  S.,  103 

Caliph,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  332,  372 

Callahan,  Capt.,  Storm 
King,  359 

Cambria,  N.  Y.,  packet  ship, 
40 

Cambridge,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  41 

Cameron,  R.  W.*s  Austra- 
lian line,  284,  304 

Canada,  N.  Y.  packet  ship, 
38,  47 

Cunard  S.  S.,  221,  309 

Canfield,  Capt.,  351,  354 

Canning,  Brit.  E.  Indiaman, 
32,  34 

Canvasback,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  250,  860 

Capitol,  ship,  193 

Carmelite,  ship,  1807,  17-18 

Carnatic,  Brit,  ship,  36 

Carrier  Dove,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  253,  362 

Castle  Eden,  Brit,  ship,  36 

Cathay,  Kathay,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  232,  358 

Cave,  Capt.,  Panama,  358 

Celestial,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
first  to  be  launched,  135, 
136,  159,  349;  records, 
145-6,  229,  300,  365 

Celestial  Empire,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  353 

Challenge,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
152,  156,  164,  174,  222, 
337,  350;  vicious  crew,  77, 
181-9;  in  China  trade, 
196-7,  206-7;  records, 
181,  299,  301,  365 


Index 


381 


Challenger,     Brit,      clipper 

ship,  tea  trade,  206 ;  race, 

206-7 
Cal.  clipper  ship,  271, 

356,  367 
Chamberlain  &  Co.,  owners, 

N.  Y.,  351 
Chamberlain  &  Heyser,  own- 
ers, N.  Y.,  351,  355 
Chariot     of     Fame,     med. 

clipper    ship,    Australian 

trade,  270 
Charles    Carroll,    packet 

ship,  41 
Charles  Grant,  Brit.  E.  In- 

diaman,  32 
Charles  H.  Marshall,  N.  Y., 

pilot  boat,  305 
Charlestown,     ship.     South 

American  trade,  161 
Charmer,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

253,  254,  362 

later  ship,  341 

Chase,    T.,   &    Co.,   owners, 

Boston,  363 
Chase    &    Tappan,    owners, 

Boston,  357 
Cheesborough,    Capt.    Robt. 

B.,  254,  363 
Chinaman,  clipper  ship, 

325-6,  346 
Chrysolite,      Brit,      clipper 

ship,  tea  trade,  199,  202, 

205,  206-7 
Chrystall,     James,     British 

owner,  35 
City     of    Glasgow,    Inman 

Line,  S.  S.,  314 
City  of  Pekin,  Pacific  S.  S., 

86 
Clarke,  Capt.,  Canvasback, 

360 
Cleopatra,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

216,    353;     records,    253, 

299,  367 
Climax,    Cal.    clipper    ship, 

298,  353 
Coggin,  Capt.,  Panparo,  358 


Coleman,  Wm.  T.,  &  Co., 
owners,  N.  Y.,  106 

Collins,  E.  K.,  manager  of 
Dramatic  Line,  40,  43 

•  Capt.  John,  Shake- 
speare, 43 

Collins  Line  S.  S.,  250,  271, 
309,  312 

Collyer,  Thos.,  &  Mm., 
builders,  N.  Y.,  49,  232, 
358 

Columbia,  1773,  first  Amer. 
ship  to  sail  round  globe, 
14,   51 

N.  Y.  packet  ship,  38, 

40,  43;  No.  2,  48 

Columbus,  N.  Y.,  packet 
ship,  41,  43,  45,  52 

Comet,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
152,  153,  159,  193,  337, 
343,  350;  records,  213, 
224,  227,  297,  299,  365; 
China  passage,  208;  Aus- 
tralian trade,  283 

later  ship,  340 

Commodore  Perry,  ship, 
Australian  trade,  273 

Composite  build,  321-2, 
371-2 

Condry,  Dennis,  owner  of 
Delia  Walker,  53-5 

Congress,  ship,  47 

Connell  &  Co.,  builders, 
Glasgow,  324,  371,  372 

Conner,  Capt.,  Carrier 
Dove,  362 

Constant  Warwick,  first 
frigate  built,  5 

Constantine,  packet  ship, 
141 

Contest,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
216,  227,  344,  353;  rec- 
ords, 224,  296,  297,  299, 
366;  race  with  Northern 
Light,  227 

Brit,  ship,  267 

Coolidge  &  Co.,  owners, 
Boston,  361 


382 


Index 


Cooper    &    Slicer,    owners, 

Baltimore,  359 
Cope,    Thos.,    Phila.,   owner 

of  packet  line,  40 
Copper  fastened,  10,  30,  33, 

34,  61,  285;  sheathed,  61, 

285,  320,  322 
Coquette,     clipper     barque, 

China  trade,  64 
Corinthian,    packet     ship, 

40 
Cornelia,  ship,  48 
Cornelius    Grinnell,    packet 

ship,  42,  56,  141,  236 
Cornwallis,  ship,  193 
Cortes,  N.  Y.   packet  ship, 

40 
Courier,  packet  ship,  1816, 

38 
early    clipper    ship, 

1842,   54,  62,  162 

Cal.  clipper  ship,  1855, 


298,  363,  367 
Courser,    Boston   packet 

ship,  52 
Cal.  clipper  ship,  299, 

350,  366 
Cox,    J.    W.    builder,    Rob- 

binston.  Me.,  233,  359 
Creesy,  Capt.  Josiah  P.,  boy- 
hood, 153-5;  Oneida,  155; 

Flying    Cloud,    153,    211, 

248-9,    253-4,    297,    351; 

race,  214-15;  "obituary," 

222-3;  Mrs.  Creesy,  306 
Creole,    N.    Orleans    packet 

ship,  41 
Cressy,  Brit,  ship,  36 
Crest    of    the    Wave,    Brit. 

clipper  ship,  208 
Crocker  &  Warren,  owners, 

N.  Y.,  304,  356,  359 
Crosby,    Capt.,    Kingfisher, 

358 
Crowell,     Capt.,     Boston 

Light,  356 
Crowell  &   Brooks,  owners, 

Boston,  360;  see  Howes 


Crowninshield,  Jacob, 

owner,  Salem,  13 
Cunningham,     Capt.,      354, 

363 
Bros.,  owners,  Boston, 

364 

&  Sons,  354 


Cunningham's    rolling    top- 
sails, 163 
Currier,  John,  Jr.,  builder, 

Newburyport,  52,  68,  232, 

357,  364 

&  McKay,  53-4 

&   Townsend,   52,   243, 

354 
Curtis,  J.  O.,  builder,  Med- 

ford,    52,    152,    216,    352, 

355,  357,  361,  363 
Paul,  builder,  Chelsea, 

136,  350;  E.  Boston,  216, 

350,    353,    354,    355,    359, 

362 
Curtis  &   Peabody,  owners, 

Boston,  354,  356,  361 
Cutler,      Capt.      Benj.      F., 

Mary  Whitridge,  254 
Cutting,     Capt.     Robt.     C, 

packet  ship  Adelaide,  44 
Cutting,    Francis    B.,    part 

owner     of     Dreadnought, 

N.  Y.,  244 
Cutty    Sark,    Brit,    clipper 

ship,  tea  trade,  332,  336, 

346,  372 
Cyclone,   Cal.    clipper   ship, 

300,  356 


Dale,  Capt  Fleetwood,  353 

Daniel  Webster,  packet 
ship,  56 

Daniels,  Geo.,  owner,  Bos- 
ton, 233,  303 

Daring,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
253,  362 

Dashing  Wave,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  356,  369 


Index 


383 


Dauntless,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

343,  363 
David   Brown,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,    232,    356;    records, 

248,    290,    296,   297,    298, 

367,  368 
David  Crockett,  Cal.  clipper 

ship,  232,  356,  369-70 
David  Malcolm,  Brit,   ship, 

36 
Dean,  Capt.   Stewart,  sloop 

Enterprise,  1785,  6 
Deas,  Capt.,  Ganges,  200-1 
Decline   of   American   ship- 
ping, 290,  292-3,  314-17, 

341 
Defender,  med.  clipper  ship, 

255-6,  300 
De  Horsey,  Capt.  of  H.  M. 

S.  Brisk,  251-2 
Delano,  Capt.,  Ariel,  353 
Capt.  Joseph,  packets, 

43 
— —  Warren,    owner,    Bos- 
ton, 70;  Amer.  Nav.  Club, 

202 
Delia  Walker,  ship,  53,  54 
Dent  &  Co.,  owners,  China, 

59 
Depaw,   Francis,   owner   of 

Havre  packet  line,  41 
De    Peyster,    Capt.    F.    A., 

packets,  43,  45 
Derby,     Elias     H  a  s  k  e  1 1, 

Salem     merchant,     eigh- 
teenth    century,     12-13; 

Jr.,  Capt.,  Atlantic,  12 
Devonshire,    packet    ship, 

48 
"Diadem,"  Brit,  brig.,  Capt. 

Johnson's   story,   157-9 
"  Diving  Bell,"  Lord  of  the 

Isles,  209 
Doane,    Capt.    Justin,    225, 

354,  360 
Donald  McKay,  clipper  ship, 

Australian      trade,      273, 

280,  346 


Don    Quixote,    packet    ship, 
41 

Cal.  clipper  ship,  357; 

records,     253,     299,     367, 
368,  369 
Dorchester,  Boston  ship,  54 
Dorsetshire,  Brit.  E.  India- 
man,  32 
Douglas,    Mr.,    chief   officer 

on  Challenge,  182-3 
Dragon,  Brit.  E.  Indiaman, 

23,  32 
Dramatic  Line,  40,  42,  45 
Draper,  18th  cent,  ship,  16 
Dreadnought,  44,  235  243-7 
Duchesse  d'  Orleans,  Havre 

packet  ship,  41 
Duke  of  York,  Brit.  E.  In- 
diaman, 32 
Dumaresq,  Capt.  Phillip, 
62,  71,  138,  175,  205,  233, 
289,  297,  350,  353,  359, 
363 


E 


Eagle,  N.  Y.  packet  ship,  38 
Cal.  clipper  ship,  297, 

299,  350,  367 
Eagle    Wing,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,  357,  367 
Earl   of  Balcarras,   largest 

ship  of  Brit.  E.  India  Co., 

32,  33,  34 
Echo,  early  N.  Y.  ship,  16 
Eckford,      Henry,     builder, 

N.  Y.,  17,  47 
Eclipse,   Cal.    clipper    ship, 
136,  175-6,  211,  349,  364 

later  ship,  340 

Edward  Everett,  ship,  255 
Edwin  Forrest,  Cal.  clipper 

ship,  357 
Elder,     Randolph     &     Co., 

builders,  347 
Eldridge,     Capt.     Asa,     43, 

247,  271 
Capt.  John,  43,  271 


3^4 


Index 


Eldridge,   Capt.   Oliver,  43, 

64,  70,  271 
Electric,   Cal.    clipper   ship, 

299,  300,  360,  367 
Electric  Spark,  Cal.  clipper 

ship,  299,  362,  368 
Eliza    Shaw,    Brit,    clipper 

ship,  tea  trade,  322,  371 
Ellis,  Capt.,  241 
Emanuel,  see  Wells 
Emily  C.  Starr,  barque,  345 
Empress  of  the  Seas,  Cal. 

clipper  ship,  232-3,  357 
Englis,  John,  149 
Enright,     Capt.     Anthony, 

Chrysolite,  199 
Erie,  Havre  packet  ship,  41 
Erl    King,    Brit,    auxiliary 

steamer,  China  trade,  331 
Espirito  Santo,  78-9 
Esterbrook,    Capt.,    Winged 

Racer,  355 
Esther   May,    clipper    ship, 

369 
Ethiopian,     Brit,     ship     in 

Australian  trade,  333 
Eureka,   Cal.    clipper    ship, 

351 
Euterpe,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

289,  363 


Fairbank  &  Wheeler,  own- 
ers, Boston,  56 
Fairlight,  Brit,  ship,  333 
Falcon,    Brit,    clipper    ship, 
tea    trade,    319-20,    324, 
347,  375 
Farran,  Capt.,  Eagle,  350 
Fast   days'   runs,  179,   180, 
195,   214,    219-20,   245-6, 
271,  277,  281,  334 
Fast  passages :  Atlantic,  46, 
221,  247,  254,  277-8 
Australian,  266,  268,  281- 
2,  284,  336,  338 


California,  213,  218,  225, 

227-8;     (eastward),    233, 

293,  296,  365-9 

China,  199,  207,  208,  209, 

329,  335 
Fastest   ships:   packet, 

Yorkshire,     46 ;      clipper. 

Rainbow,  67;  Sea  Witch, 

192;    Gt.    Republic,    243; 

Lightning,  278 
Fearless,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

271,  357 
Federal  Eagle,  brig,  15 
Fennell,  Capt.,  Flying  Mist, 

363 
Fernald  &  Pettigrew,  build- 
ers,   Portsmouth,    N.    H., 

52,    152,    216,    352,    355, 

356,  361,  363 
Fessenden,    C.    B.,    owner, 

Boston,  360 
Fidelia,  N.  Y.  packet  ship, 

41,  48 
Fiery    Cross,    Brit,    clipper 

ship,  tea  trade,  320,  335, 

371;  race,  325-30 
Fiery  Star-Comet,  343 
Flavio,  ship,  52 
Fleetiving,  yacht,  159 
Cal.  clipper  ship,  250, 

260 
Fleetwood,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

353 
Fletcher,    Capt.,    M  aury, 

209;  Oriental,  No.  2,  358 
Florence,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

289,  363 
Floyd,  John,  builder,  N.  Y., 

17 
Fly  Away,  clipper  ship,  232, 

297,  368 
Flying  Childers,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  216,  236,  354 
Flying  Cloud,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  152,  153,  155,  174, 
205,  217,  237,  254,  337, 
342,  351;  N.  Y.  to  S.  F. 


Index 


385 


Flying  Cloud — Contmued 
in  89  days,  144,  178-81, 
248,  296,  297,  300,  365, 
367;  log,  179-80,  248; 
other  California  passages, 
214-15,  224,  253,  298-9, 
366,  367;  other  passages, 
195,  208,  222;  story  of 
race  with  Ganges,  200-2 

•  Brit,  clipper  ship,  tea 

trade,  208 

Cal.  clipper  ship,  357; 


records,  295,  296,  297, 
299,  368 

Flying  Dutchman,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  216,  344,  354, 
375;  records,  S.  F.,  297, 
299,  366,  368;  Australia, 
284 

Flying  Fish,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  152,  155-6,  173, 
193,  205,  237,  302,  337, 
342,  345,  351;  race  with 
Sword  Fish,  212-13; 
other  Cal.  passages,  224- 
6,  253,  295-9,  366-8 

Flying  Mist,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  289,  363 

Flying  Scud,  clipper  ship, 
284 

Flying  Spur,  Brit,  clipper 
ship,  tea  trade,  325,  326 

Food  on  board  ship,  29,  78, 
90,  107-8,  188,  231-2,  262 

Forbes,  Capt.  James,  Nicoll, 
Marco  Polo,  266;  Light- 
ning, 275-6;  Schomherg, 
284 

Forrest,  Capt.,  Rattler,  361 

Forward  Ho,  Brit,  clipper 
ship,  tea  trade,  332,  336, 
346,  371 

Foster,  W.  H.,  &  Co.,  own- 
ers, Boston,  359 

&    Nickerson,    owners, 

Boston,  358,  363 

Francis,  brig,  84 

Francis  Depaw,  ship,  47 


Fraser,     Capt.     Geo.,     Sea 

Witch,  69,  145,  189,  192, 

341 
Freeman,  Capt.,  Undaunted, 

359 
Friend,     Capt.,     S  ancho 

Panza,    361 
Funch   &   Meincke,   owners, 

N.  Y.  and  Baltimore,  136, 

350 


Galatea,  clipper  ship,  299 
Game     Cock,     Cal.     clipper 
ship,   135,   173,   205,  271, 
302,    337,    342,    349;    rec- 
ords, 195,  299 
Ganges,  Brit,  ship,  200-1 
Gardner,  Capt.  E.  C,  Celes- 
tial,    159,     349;     Comet, 
159,    224,    350;    Intrepid, 
363 
Gates,  Capt.,  360,  364 
Gauntlet,  267 
George  Canning,  ship,  47 
George  Peabody,  ship,  255 
Gerry,    Capt.,   Noonday, 

363 
Gibb  &  Livingston,  325 
Gilman  &  Co.,  325 
Gipsey,  brig,  1804,  17 
Girard,   Stephen,  capt.  and 

owner,  15 
Glidden    &    Williams,    Bos- 
ton, owners  of  line  of  S. 
Francisco    clippers,    136, 
141,  172,  349-61 
Globe,  Brit,  merchant  ship, 

36 
Gloriana,  Brit,  ship,  36 
Glory    of    the    Seas,    med. 

clipper  ship,  258,  369 
Goddard,  N.  S.,  owner,  Bos- 
ton, 358 
Goddard   &   Co.,   owners  of 
Race  Horse,  Boston,  135, 
349 


386 


Index 


Golden  Age,  clipper  barque, 

366 
Golden    City,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,    216,    354;    records, 

297,  299,  300,  367 
Golden  Eagle,   Cal.   clipper 

ship,    354;    records,    297, 

299,  300,  367 
Golden  Fleece,  Cal.  clipper 

ship,  362 
Golden    Gate,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,    351;    records,    297, 

298,  299,  366 

Golden  Light,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  233,  343-4,  354 

Golden  State,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  216,  354 

Golden  West,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  216,  354 

Goodhue  &  Co.,  N.  Y.,  own- 
ers of  Mandarin,  135,  349 

Goodwin,  Gov.  of  N.  H., 
165 

Gordon,  Capt.  Geo.,  Mem- 
non,  145 

Gore,  Capt.,  North  Wind, 
358 

Governor  Morton,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  136,  349;  rec- 
ords, 253,  299,  300,  368 

Grace  Darling,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  250,  360 

Grand  Turk,  Salem  ship,  12 

Gray,  Capt.  Robt.,  1788,  14 

Wm.,  Salem  merchant, 

13 

Great  Britain,  packet  ship, 
47,  71-2,  138 

Great  Republic,  clipper  ship, 
largest  extreme  clipper 
ship  ever  built,  235-43, 
337,  345,  357;  launch, 
236-8;  masts  and  spars, 
238-40,  242-3;  burnt, 
240-2 ;  rebuilt,  242-3 ;  rec- 
ords,  293,  296,  297,  298, 

299,  300;   log,   294;   esti- 
mated speed,  343,  294-5 


Great  Western,  packet  ship, 
41 

Greenfield,  barque,  368 ; 
brought  first  cargo  of 
wheat  from  California, 
254 

Greenman  &  Co.,  builders, 
Mystic,  Conn.,  232 

Gregory,  Capt.  Michael, 
250,  361 

Griffeths,  John  W.,  65-66 

Grinnell,  Minturn  &  Co., 
N.  Y.,  owners,  packet 
lines,  40,  42;  Cal.  clip- 
pers, 136,  153,  211,  233, 
350,  351,  355,  358,  359; 
flags,  42,  303 

Griswold,  John,  N.  Y.,- 
London  packet  line,  40,  42 

N.    L.    &    G.,    owners, 

N.  Y.,  60,  62,  64,  68,  156, 
189,  303,  350,  358 
Capt.,  Toronto,  162 


Guest,    Brit.    E.    Indiaman, 

1611,  23 
Guiding    Star,   Cal.    clipper 

ship,  232,  357 
Brit,  clipper  ship,  267, 

268,  269,  272 
Guinevere,   Brit,   clipper 

ship,    tea    trade,    Nos.    1 

and  2,  347 


Hackett,      Wm.      &     John, 

builders,  Salisbury,  Mass; 

U.     S.    frigate^  Alliance, 

1778,  6 
Hale,   Capt.,   Guiding  Star, 

357 
Hall,  Alexander,  &  Co.,  58, 

59,    198,    199,    208,    284, 

322,  324,  371-2 
Hall,  Samuel,  builder.  East 

Boston,  50,  137,  205,  250; 

clipper   schooner,    58; 

China    clippers,    62,    64; 


Index 


387 


Hill,  Samuel — Continued 
Cal.    clippers,    135,    198, 
216,  225,  232,  349-58 

^Jr.,  289,  363 

Hallet,  Capt.,  Radiant,  355 

&  Co.,  owners,  Boston, 

356 

Hamilton,  Capt.,  Eclipse, 
175-6,  349 

Handy  &  Everett,  owners, 
N.  Y.,  136,  349 

Hanscom,  Saml.,  Ports- 
mouth,  N.  H.,  builder  of 
Nightingale,  164-5 

Harvest  Queen,  packet  ship, 
41 

barque,  291 

Harvey  Birch,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  250,  344,  361 

Haskell,  Capt.,  Norseman, 
364 

Hastings,  Henry,  owner, 
Boston,  361,  363 

Hatch,  Capt.,  Northern 
Light,  228,  351;  Mid- 
night, 361 

Hathorne,  Wm.,  of  Ha- 
thorne  &  Steers,  builders, 
N.  Y.,  49 

Hayden  &  Cudworth,  build- 
ers, Medford,  52,  354,  361 

Hayes,  Capt.,  lost  on  Rain- 
how,  68 

Hays,  Capt.  Gilbert,  of 
Beauregard,  141 

Hazard,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
298 

Heard,  Augustine,  &  Co., 
owners,  Boston,  303,  351 

Hebe,  French  frigate,  model 
for  British,  5 

Hector,  Bril.  E.  Indiamen, 
in  first  fleet,  23,  24 

Helen  Mar,  packet  ship,  41 

Helen  Morris,  clipper  ship, 
258 

Helena,  early  clipper  ship, 
62 


Helicon,  barque,  56 
Helvetia,     Girard     ship, 

China  trade,  16 
Henderson,    Capt,    Gazelle, 

351 
Henning,   Capt.,   Brit,   ship 

Alfred,  37 
Henrietta,  yacht,  159 
Henry,  Capt.,  Raven,  189- 

92,  352;  Skylark,  359 
Henry  Allen,  ship,  193 
Henry  Clay,  packet  ship,  43, 

48,      141;      admired      at 

L'pool,  89 
Henry  Hill,  clipper  barque, 

258 
Herald     of     the     Morning, 

med.    clipper    ship,    253, 

271,     363;     records,    253, 

296,    297,   299,    300,    367, 

368 
Hercules,  early  ship,  16 

packet  ship,  40 

Herefordshire,   Brit.  E.  In- 

diaman,  32,  345 
Hersilia,  brig,  sealing  voy- 
ages, 77-80 
Hibernia,    packet    ship,    43, 

47,  84,  160 
Brit,    clipper    ship, 

Australian  trade,  266 
Highflyer,     N.     Y.     packet 

ship,  244 
Cal.   clipper   ship,   344, 

354 
Hill,    Capt.,   Challenge, 

356 
Hollis,    Capt.,    Game    Cock, 

349 
Holt,  Alfred,  L'pool,  builder 

of    iron    screw    steamers, 

332 
Hood,     Jas.      M.,     builder, 

Somerset,     Mass.,     136, 

349 
&  Co.,  builders,  Somer- 
set,    Mass.,     152,     356, 

359 


388 


Index 


Hood,  Walter  &  Co.,  build- 
ers, Aberdeen,  Abergeldie, 
205-6;  Thermopylae,  333, 
372 

Hooper,    J.,    owner,    Balti- 
more, 357 
Witch  of  the  Wave,  169 

Hope,  ship,  15 

Horatio,  ship  in  China 
trade,  141,  162 

Hornet,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
152,  351;  records,  224, 
298,  299,  300,  366 

Hotspur,  Brit,  merchant 
frigate,  36 

Cal.  clipper  ship,  364 

Hottinger,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  41,  43 

Houqua,  clipper  ship  in 
China  trade,  63,  70,  77, 
84,  85,  162,  341 

Howes,  Capt.  Frederic,  236, 
353,  357,  359,  360,  362 

Howes  &  Crowell,  owners, 
Boston,  353,  359 

Howland,  Capt.  Williams, 
141-2,  162,  350 

Hubbard,  Capt.,  Flying 
Dutchman,  354 

Huckins,  Jas.,  Boston, 
owner  of  Northern  Light, 
163-4  ^    ^ 

. &  Co.,  owners,  Boston, 

351,  354,  356 

Hudson,  N.  Y.,  packet  ship, 
40,  44 

Hunnewell,    Jas.,    owner, 

Boston,  354,  355 
Hunt   &   Wagner,  builders, 

Baltimore,  357,  363 
Huntress,  ship,  52 
Huntsville,    N.    Y.,-N.    Or- 
leans packet  ship,  41,  43, 
84 
Hurricane,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
152,    163,    193,   337,   351; 
records,     208,     218,     248, 
296,  299,  367 


Hussey,     Capt.,     Westward 

Ho,  355 
Hyderabad,  Brit,  ship,  36 


Inconium,  ship,  193 

Independence,  New  York- 
L'pool  packet  ship,  41,  43, 
45,  47,  48;  carried  Presi- 
dent's message,  45 

Innes,  Capt.,  Serica,  326 

Ino,  Cal.  clipper  ship,  152, 
153,  351;  in  U.  S.  Navy, 
253 

Intrepid,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
289,  300,  363 

Invincible,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
152,  156-7,  159,  301,  351, 
366;  in  Australian  trade, 
283 

Irons  &  Grinnell,  builders. 
Mystic,  Conn,  295 

Isaac  Wright,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  41,  44,  45 

Isaac  Webb,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  41,  48 

Isaac  Wright,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  41,  48 

Ismay,  Imrie  &  Co.,  L'pool, 
White  Star  Australian 
Line,  268 

Istamboul,  Brit,  auxil.  ves- 
sel, 287 

Ivanhoe,  packet  ship,  48 


Jackman,  Geo.  W.,  builder, 
Newburyport,  52,  360-3 

R.     E.,    builder,     East 

Boston,  136,  216,  270,  349, 
355,  356 
■  &    Ewell,   builders,   E. 


Boston,  358,  359 
Jacob     Bell,     Cal.     clipper 

ship,  216,  298,  344,  354 
N.  Y.  pilot  boat,  305 


Index 


389 


James  Bahies,  clipper  ship, 
for  Australian  service, 
273,  279-80,  281,  288,  334, 
337,  346;  carried  troops 
to  India,  281-2 

James  Cropper,  N.  Y. 
packet  ship,  38,  43 

James  Monroe,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  38 

Jamestown,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  43 

Japan,  ship  in  Australian 
trade,  273 

Jardine,  Matheson  &  Co., 
China  merchants,  59,  197, 
208,  325 

Jenny  Lind,  ship,  Boston, 
56,  217 

John  Bertram,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  136,  141,  173,  349; 
records,  299,  300,  366 

John  E.  Thayer,  ship,  Bos- 
ton, 255 

Johyi  Gilpin,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  216,  344,  354;  rec- 
ords, 224,  296,  297,  299, 
366;  race,  224-6 

John  Jay,  ship,  N.  Y.,  47 

John  Land,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  233,  357,  368,  369 

John  Quincy  Adams,  ship, 
Boston,  156 

John  R.  Skiddy,  N.  Y. 
packet  ship,  54 

John  Wade,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  299,  351 

Johnson,  Capt.  H.  W.,  In- 
vincible, 157,  159,  351; 
story  of  Diadem,  157-9 

■  Capt.,     Kate     Hooper, 

Baltimore,  357 

Napier  &  Co.,  303 

Johnston,  Capt.  John,  N.  Y. 
packets,  44,  45 

Jones,  Quiggin  &  Co., 
L'pool,  owners  of  Sea- 
forth,  322 

Jordan,    John,    L'pool,    in- 


ventor of  composite  con- 
struction, 322 
Joseph  Walker,  ship,  242 
Joshua     Bates,     Boston- 

L'pool  packet  ship,  55 
Judge  Shaw,  ship,  293 


Kaisow,   Brit,   clipper  ship, 

tea  trade,  332,  372 
Kate     Carine,     Brit,     ship, 

267 
Kate   Hooper,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,  Baltim  -re,  357 
Kathay,    Catha  ',   Cal.   clip- 
per ship,  232,  358 
Keay,     Capt.,     tea     clipper 

Ariel,  326 
Kellie    Castle,   Brit.    E.    In- 

diaman,  32 
Kemball,  Capt.  John,  1788, 

14 
Kennard  &  Williamson,  Bal- 
timore,   builders    of   Ann 

McKim,  60 
Kermit,     Robert,     N.     Y.- 

L'pool  packet  line,  42,  46 
Kerwin,  Capt,  Golden  West, 

354 
Khersonese,  Brit,  auxiliary 

steamer,  287 
Kilham,   Capt.,   Jacob   Bell, 

354 
Killick,    Capt.,    Challenger, 

206 
King,    Capt.,    Race    Horse, 

349 
Kingfisher,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,  358 
Klein,  Capt.,  Spirit  of  the 

Times,  359 
Knight,  Capt.,  Queen  of  the 

Seas,  355 ;  Morning  Light, 

358 
Knowles,  Capt.,  Wild  Wave, 

360 


390 


Index 


L.  Z.,  N.  Y.  ship,  56 

Lady  Melville,  Brit.  E.  In- 
diaman,  32 

Lahloo,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  332,  372;  races, 
332-3,  336 

Laing  &  Co.,  builders,  Sun- 
derland, Eng.,  371 

Lamb,  Edward,  &  Co.,  Bos- 
ton, owners,  56 

Lanark,  Brit,  clipper  brig, 
opium  trade,  59 

Lancaster,  packet  ship,  40 

Land,  Capt.  John,  67,  187 

Landholm,  Capt.,  John  Bert- 
ram, 141,  349 

Landor,  W.  S.,  yacht 
America,  310 

Lane,  Capt.  Geo.,  Sweep- 
stakes, 233,  359;  Pacific 
Mail  S.   S.  Co.,  233 

Lang,  Capt.,  Sea  Witch,  341 

Lapham,  Saml.,  builder, 
Medford,  52 

Laurence  &  Folkes,  build- 
ers, N.  Y.,  49 

Lawrie  &  Co.,  builders, 
Glasgow,  372 

Leander,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  332,  372;  rec- 
ords,  333-6 

Leonore,  packet   ship,  54 

Libertas,  ship,  282 

Liberator,  Greek  frigate 
built  in  N.  Y.,  47 

Light  Brigade-Ocean  Tele- 
graph, 346 

Light  Horse,  barque,  Salem, 
1784,   12 

Lightfoot,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
358 

Lightning,  clipper  ship  for 
Australian  trade,  273, 
274-5,  285,  337,  346;  pas- 
sages, 275-8,  281-8;   log, 


227-8;  carrying  troops  to 
India,  282-3 

later  ship,  341 

Limeburner,  Capt.,  Great 
Republic,  243,  293,  357 

Lincoln,  Wm.,  &  Co.,  Bos- 
ton, owners,  354,  358 

Lincolnshire,  Brit,  ship  in 
Australian  trade,  285 

Linnell,  Capt.,  Eagle  Wing, 
357 

Lintin,  ship.  Porbes's  rig, 
236 

Live  Yankee,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  299,  300,  358 

Liverpool,  packet  ship,  N. 
Y.,  42,  43,  48 

packet  ship,  Boston,  52 

Lockwood,  Capt.,  White 
Squall,  142,  350 

Lodge,  John  E.,  Boston, 
owner,  357,  359,  361 

Logs:  Flying  Cloud,  178- 
81,  211;  Raven  et  al., 
192;  Sov.  of  Seas,  219- 
20 ;  Flying  Fish  and  John 
Giljnn,  226 ;  Dreadnought, 
245-6;  Romance  of  Seas, 
249;  Lightning,  277; 
James  Baines,  281-2 ; 
Sweepstakes,  290 ;  Great 
Republic,  294;  tea  clip- 
pers, 329-30;  Thermo- 
pylae, 334 

Look  Out,  clipper  ship,  369 

Lord  Amherst,  Brit. 
schooner,  opium  trade, 
58 

Lord  Lyndhurst,  ship,  293 

Lord  of  the  Isles,  Brit,  clip- 
per ship  (iron) ,  tea  trade, 
208-10,  267,  288,  320,  346, 
376;  second  of  the  name, 
346 

Lothair,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  332,  372 

Louis  Ph  ilippe,  Havre 
packet  ship,  41 


Index 


391 


Low,   Capt.   Chas.   P.,   145, 

162,     214-15,     343,     352; 

Mrs.  Low,  306 
A.      A.,      &      Brother, 

owners,  N.  Y.,  63,  64,  70, 

85,  87,  135,  162,  209,  227, 

242,  303 
Lowell,  Boston  packet  ship, 

52 
Lowiher  Castle,  Brit.  E.  In- 

diaman,  32,  34 
Lucas,  Capt.  Frederic,  254, 

341,  362 
Lucilla,  ship,  52 


M 


McCumm,  Jas.,  Greenock, 
owner  of  Sir  Launceloty 
335 

McDonnell,  Capt.  Chas., 
Marco  Polo,  267-8 

Mclntyre,  L.  H.,  &  Co., 
builders,  Liverpool,  322 

McKay,  Donald,  Highland 
chieftain,  53 

McKay,  Donald,  clipper 
ship  builder,  42,  53,  205, 
225,  258-9,  276,  297; 
boyhood,  53,  258;  New 
York,  53 ;  Newburyport, 
53-5;  East  Boston,  56, 
62;  packet  ships,  62,  270; 
California  clippers,  136, 
142,  152,  153,  212,  216, 
232,  233,  250;  Sovereign 
of  the  Seas,  221;  Great 
Republic,  235,  243;  me- 
dium clippers,  255,  258, 
290-1;  tribute  to  Abbott 
Lawrence,  256-7;  Aus- 
tralian clippers,  273-83; 
Civil  War,  258;  last 
years,  258;  Mrs.  McKay, 
221-2;     Currier     &     Mc- 


Kay,    53-4;     McKay,     & 
Pickett,  54 
—  Hugh,  builder,  Boston, 

217 


Capt.    Lauchlan,    217- 

275;    Sov.    of    the    Seas, 
217-19,    269,    355;    Great 
Republic,  238,  241 
McKensie,    Capt.,    Houqua, 

63,  145,  341 
McKim,     Isaac,     Baltimore, 
owner    of    Ann    McKim, 
60,  61 

McKinnon,  Capt.,  Taeping, 
326 

Madagascar,  Brit,  ship, 
Australian  line,  263-4 

Magoun,  Thacher,  builder, 
Medford,  51-2 

Medford,     builder     of 

Cal.  clippers,  362-3 

Malay,  clipper  ship,  299 

Mallory,  Chas.,  builder. 
Mystic,  Conn.,  358,  364 

Mandarin,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
135,  136,  145-6,  301, 
349;  passages:  S.  Fran- 
cisco, 146,  299;  Canton, 
208;  Melbourne,  284,  288 

Manhattan  ship,  1796, 
China  trade,  16-17 

•  N.  Y.  packet  ship.  Red 

Star  Line,  40 

•  N.     Y.     packet     ship, 

Black  Ball  Line,  41 

Manning  &  Stanwood,  own- 
ers, Boston,  359 

Manson,  Capt.,  357,  362 

Marco  Polo,  Brit,  clipper 
ship,  Australian  service, 
265-6,  267-8,  275,  284, 
346 

Margaret  Evans,  packet 
ship,  89 

Margaret  Forbes,  ship,  Bos- 
ton, 52 

Maria  So77ies,  Brit,  ship,  36 

Marion,  Brit,  ship,  36 


392 


Index 


Marion  Maclntyfe,  Brit, 
barque,  composite  build, 
322 

Marlborough,  Brit,  mer- 
chant frigate,  36 

Marquis  of  Camden,  Brit. 
E.  Indiaman,  32 

Marquis  of  W  ellin  g  t  o  n, 
Brit.   E.   Indiaman,   32 

Marsden,  Capt.,  Melbourne, 
338 

Marshall,  Benj.,  part  owner, 
Black  Ball  Line,  N.  Y.- 
iL'pool,  38 

. Capt.  Chas.  H.,  owner, 

Black  Ball  Line,  41,  43, 
73,  303 

Mary  and  John,  ship  of 
Popham  colonists,  1607,  1 

Mary  Broughton,  barque, 
53 

Mary  Fish,  N.  Y.  pilot  boat, 
305 

Mary  Rowland,  ship,  N.  Y., 
47 

Mary  L.  Sutton,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  289,  364;  rec- 
ords, 299,  300,  368,  369 

Mary  Taylor,  N.  Y.  pilot 
boat,  305 

Mary  Whitridge,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  86,  253,  254 

Mason,  John  W.,  carver, 
Boston,  166 

Mastiff,  med.  clipper  ship, 
258 

Masting   of   Rainbow,   66-7 

Matchless,  clipper  ship, 
Boston,  367 

Materials  of  merchant 
ships,  3,  10,  30,  50,  210, 
285,  287-8,  301,  313-15, 
316,  322,  340 

Mather,  Capt.  Saml.,  Night- 
ingale, 207 

Matheson,  Sir  James,  owner 
of  Stornoway,  198;  see 
Jardine 


Matthews,  Capt.,  Cal.  clip- 
pers, 359,  361,  363 

Maury,  Lieut.  M.  F.,  U.  S. 
N.,  life,  146-50;  Wind 
and  Current  Charts,  147- 
8,  205,  226;  "Maury's 
log,"  148;  Sailing  Direc- 
tions, 147-49;  Physical 
Geography  of  the  Sea, 
148;  Australian  routes, 
261;  opinion  of  Gt.  Re- 
public, 294 

Maury,  clipper  barque,  tea 
trade,  209 

Maxon  &  Fish,  builders, 
Mystic,  Conn.,  369 

Maxton,  Capt.,  Lord  of  the 
Isles,  209,  320 

Mayhew,  Capt.  P.  N., 
Dreadnought,  247 

Medway,  ship,  London-Mel- 
bourne line,  263-5 

Memnon,  clipper  ship, 
China  trade,  70,  202; 
California  passages,  145- 
6,  180 

Merchants'  Hope,  Brit.  E. 
Indiaman,  232 

Merchants'  Magazine, 
Hunt's,  148 

Mercury,  packet  ship,  41 

Mermaid,  clipper  ship,  299 

Messenger,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  216,  354 

Metcalf  &  Co.,  builders, 
Damariscotta,   Me.,  352 

Meteor,  packet  ship,  40 

Cal,  clipper  ship,  354; 

records,  253,  366,  368 

Middleton,  Sir  Henry,  com- 
mander of  Trades  In- 
crease, 1609,  23 

Midnight,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
361 

Miller,  Capt.,  Dauntless, 
353 

Millett,  Capt.  I.  H.,  Witch 
of  the  Wave,  172,  206,  353 


Index 


393 


Min,  Brit,  clipper  ship,  tea 
trade,  320,  371 

Minerva,  ship,  15 

Brit.  E.  Indiaman,  32, 

34 

Minna,  clipper  schooner, 
opium  trade,  59 

Minnehaha,  med.  clipper 
ship,  258 

Minot  &  Hooper,  owners, 
Boston,  68 

Minturn,   Robt.,  109 

Miroslav-Young  America, 
234 

Monarch,  Brit,  ship,  36 

Aberdeen  clipper,  58 

Monsoon,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
152,  351 

Montana,  packet  ship,  41 

Montauk,  clipper  ship, 
China  trade,  63-4 

Montesquieu,  Girard  ship, 
China  trade,  16 

Montezuma,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  41,  46,  48,  89 

Morgan,  Capt.  E.  E.,  packet 
ships,  44 

Morning  Light,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  358 

Morning  Star,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  233,  346 

Morris,  Capt.,  R.  B.  Forbes, 
139-40 

Moses  Wheeler,  ship,  Bos- 
ton, 56 

Mumford,  Capt.  0.  R.,  Tor- 
nado, 211-12,  352 

Murphy,  Capt.,  Black  War- 
rior, 356 

Murray,  Alexander,  11 

Myers,  Capt.,  Flora  Temple, 
357 

Myrick,  Capt.,  Seaman,  350 

Mystery,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
232,  358 

Mystic,  Conn.,  160;  ship- 
building, 105,  295,  360, 
864 


N 

N.  B.  Palmer,  Cal.  clipper^ 
ship,  87,  152,  162,  174, 
301,  306,  343,  352;  rec- 
ords, 178,  208,  300,  365; 
race  with  Flying  Cloud, 
214-15 

Nabob,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
250,   361 

Napier,  Johnson  &  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  owners  of  Sunny 
South,  250,  303 

Napoleon,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  40 

Nashville,  New  Orleans 
packet  ship,  41 

Natchez,  N.  Orleans  packet 
ship,  41,  68;  in  China 
trade,  74-5,  135,  208 

Nelson,  Capt.,  Harvey 
Birch,  361 

Neptune*s  Car,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  306-7,  337,.  343, 
358;  records,  253,  297, 
299 

Nestor,  packet  ship,  38 

New  World,  packet  ship,  42, 
43,  56,  89,  142,  216 

New  York,  packet  ship,  38, 
41 

Newburyport,  167;  ship- 
builders, 18,  52;  see  Cur- 
rier, Jackson,  McKay; 
shipbuilding,  7,  49,  68, 
105,  243 

Newlands,  Capt.  Alexander, 
Lightning,  279 

Niagara,  first  ship  built  at 
E.  Boston,  50 

Niantic,  Brit,  ship,  176-7 

Nicholas,  Jonathan,  im- 
promptu lines,  170 

Nickels,  Capt.  Edward, 
Flying  Fish,  156,  213, 
225,  297,  345,  351 


394 


Index 


Commander    John     A. 

H.,  U.  S.  N.,  156 

Nightrngale,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  164-5,  196,  302, 
337,  343,  375;  China  pas- 
sage, 206-7 ;  Australian 
passage,  284 

Nonpareil,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
250,  361 

Noonday,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
363 

Norfolk,  Brit,  ship,  Austra- 
lian trade,  285 

Norina,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  208 

Norseman,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
289,  364 

North  America,  ship,  1804, 
17 

•  clipper  ship,  299 

North  Beach,  S.  Francisco, 
175 

North  Wind,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  284,  288,  358,  368 

Northern  Light,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  152,  153,  163. 
164,  173,  193,  302,  337, 
351;  records,  227-8,  298, 
366 ;  quickest  eastward 
passage  from  S.  Fran- 
cisco, 227-8 

•  later  ship,  340 

Northerner,  Pacific  Mail  S. 
S.,  75,  189 

Northfleet,  Kent,  shipbuild- 
ing, 32 

Nor'wester,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  361 

Nott,  Capt.,  Don  Quixote, 
357 

Noyes,  Charlotte,  Mrs.  D. 
S.  Babcock,  161,  306 

Joseph  Stonington,  161 

Nutsfield,  Capt.,  Taitsing, 
326 

Nye,  Capt.  Ezra,  packet 
ships  hidependence,  45 ; 
Henry  Clay,  89 


Nye,  Parkin  &  Co.,  China 
merchants,  70 


Oherlhi,  packet  ship,  52 

Ocean  Chief,  clipper  ship, 
271 

Ocean  Express,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  253,  299,  363 

Ocean  Monarch,  packet 
ship    (McKay),  56 

packet    ship     (Webb) , 

164 

Ocean  Pearl,  clipper  ship, 
299 

Ocean  Queen,  packet  ship, 
48 

Ocean  Telegraph,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  250,  271,  346, 
361;  records,  218,  299, 
300,  369 

Odd  Fellow,  barque,  217 

Ogden,  David,  N.  Y.,  owner 
Red  Cross  packets,  244, 
304 

Oliver  Ellesiuorth,  ship,  N. 
Y.,  16 

Oliver,  Francis,  E.  Boston 
Timber  Co.,  49 

Olympus,  ship,  343 

Oneida,  packet  ship,  41 

ship,  China  trade,  155, 

222 

Orbit,  packet  ship,  1821,  38, 
47 

Oriental,  clipper  ship,  1849, 
China  trade,  77,  84,  85, 
96-8,  142,  202,  375;  car- 
rying tea  to  London,  97- 
8,  196;  California  pas- 
sage, 224,  366 

Cal.  clipper  ship,  1853, 

232,  358 

later  ship,  340 

Osgood,  Capt.  W.  H.,  Trade 
Wind,  164,  352;  Cyclone, 
356 


Index 


395 


Oxford,  packet  ship,  41 
Oxnard,  Henry,  owner,  Bos- 
ton, 52 


Pacific,    packet   ship,    1816, 

38 

ship,  47 

Collins  Line  S.  S.,  271, 

309 
Pacific  Mail  S.  S.  company, 

62,  75,  84,  103,  189,  233, 

313;   first  S.  S.  to  reach 

S.   Francisco,   1849,   103; 

first  to  reach  China,  1862, 

319 
Paige,    James,    E.    Boston 

Timber  Co.,  49 
Pallas,  barque,  Boston,  15 
Palmer,     Capt.     Alexander, 

43,  86,  162 
Capt.  N.  B.,  43,  63,  70, 

77-86     (life),    96,    160-2, 

242 ;  mate  of  Hersilia,  77- 

80;    discovered   Antarctic 

continent,  81-3 

N.  B.,  2d,  86 

Capt.      Theodore,     97, 

162 
Palmer,  schooner  yacht,  87 
Pamparo,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

358,  367 
Panama,    clipper    ship 

(Webb),     1844,     China 

trade,  64,  208 
Cal.    clipper    ship 

(Collyer,  1853),  232,  284, 

299,  358 
Panther,  N.  Y.  packet  ship, 

40 
Parker,  D.  P.,  Boston,  owner 

of  Lucille,  52 
Paterson,    Capt.,    Phantom, 

355 
Patriarch,  Brit,   ship,  Aus- 
tralian trade,  333 


Patrick  Henry,  packet  ship, 
41,  43,  46 

Patten,  Capt.  Joshua  A., 
Neptune's  Car,  306-7; 
Mrs.  Mary  Patten,  306-7 

Paul,  Capt.  Josiah,  Great 
Republic,  295 

Paul  Albert-Lord  of  the 
Isles,  346 

Paul  Jones,  clipper  ship, 
62-3,  77,  84 

Peabody,  Alfred,  owner, 
Salem,  166 

Joseph,  owner,   Salem, 

13,  119 

P^99y,  Salem  ship,  brought 
first  cargo  of  cotton  to 
Massachusetts,   13 

Pierce,  Henry  A.,  Boston, 
owner,  354,  355 

Penguin,  clipper  barque, 
China  trade,  209 

Penhallow,  Capt.,  Sierra 
Nevada,   361 

Pennsylvania,  N.  Y.  packet 
ship,  41 

Perrin,  Patterson  &  Stock, 
builders,  Williamsburg, 
N.  Y.,  49,  152,  351 

Perry,  Capt.,  Ann  McKim, 
61 

Perseverance.  Brit.  E.  In- 
diaman,  32 

Phantom,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
216,  337,  345,  355;  rec- 
ords, 224,  290,  297,  299, 
366,   368 

Phillips,  J.  W.,  N.  Y., 
owner  of  Invincible,  156 

Pierce,  Capt.,  Celestial  Em- 
pire, 353 

Pike,  Capt.,  Meteor,  354 

Pile,  John,  builder,  Sunder- 
land, Eng.,  208 

-Wm.,  builder,  Sunder- 
land, 320 

Pile  &  Cole,  builders,  Sun- 
derland, 371 


396 


Index 


Pilkington  &  Wilson,  Liver- 
pool, owners,  272 

Pitcher  shipyard,  North- 
fleet,  Kent,  33 

Piatt,  W.,  &  Son.,  Phila., 
owners,  136,  164,  350, 
352 

Plymouth,  packet  ship,  52 

Plymouth  Rock,  ship,  Bos- 
ton, 56 

Plympton,  H.  P.,  Boston, 
part  owner  of  Defender, 
255 

Polynesia,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
216,  355,  367 

Pook,  Saml.,  naval  archi- 
tect, 270-1 

Potter,  Capt.  Geo.,  Archi- 
tect, 70 

Capt.,  Matchless,  358 

President,  44-gun  frigate, 
16 

packet  ship,  40 

Prince  Regent,  Brit.  E.  In- 
diaman,  32 

Prince  of  Wales,  "  Black- 
wall  frigate,"  36 

Princess  Amelia,  Brit.  E. 
Indiaman,  32 

Princess  Royal,  Brit,  ship, 
36 

Protection,  92,  94,  95,  316- 
17 

Putnam,  Capt.,  Cal.  clip- 
pers, 353,  355,  357 


Q 


Queen     of     Clippers,     Cal. 

clipper  ship,  359 
Queen    of    the    East,    Cal. 

clipper  ship,  352 
Queen  Mab,  packet  ship,  41 
Queen    of    the    Seas,    Cal. 

clipper  ship,  216,  355 


Queen  of   the   South,   Brit. 

iron  screw  steamer,  286 
Queen  of  the   West,  packet 

ship,  41,  43,  48 


R 


R.  B.  Forbes,  ship,  236,  255 

wrecking  steamer,  138- 

40,  167-72,  238,  240,  279 

Race  Horse,  Cal.  clipper 
barque,  135,  145,  198, 
349;  records,  146,  365 

Races:  packet,  45;  yachts, 
64,  159,  310-11;  Califor- 
nia clippers,  145-6,  189- 
92,  212-13,  214-15,  225- 
6,  227-8;  tea  clippers, 
200-2,  206-7,  209,  324- 
30,  332-3,  335-6;  to  In- 
dia,  282-3 

Racing:  packet  ship,  45; 
yacht,  226,  339;  Cal.  clip- 
pers, 145,  192-3,  195, 
224,  226,  228,  249;  sail 
and  steam,  311-12 

Radiant,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
216,  355 

Rainbow,  Brit,  frigate, 
1782,  5 

first    extreme     clipper 

ship,  62,  65-7,  68,  314 

later  ship,  340 

Ranlett,  Capt.  Chas.,  208 

Jr.,  208,  341 

Rapid,  schooner,  Aberdeen 
clipper,  58 

Rattler,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
250,  361 

Raven,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
152,  173,  352;  race,  189- 
92;  log,  192;  records,  218, 
299,  300,  365 

Raynes,  Geo.,  builder,  Ports- 
mouth, N.  H.,  52-3,  59, 
136,  141,  152,  168,  250, 
350,  353 


Index 


397 


Rebekahy  clipper  barque, 
366 

Record  days'  runs,  179,  278; 
see  Best  days'  runs 

Record  passages: 

transatlantic,  221,  247, 
309  (steamer) ;  Califor- 
nia, westward,  144,  145- 
6,  175,  178,  295,  296- 
8,  298-300  (in  sections)  ; 
eastward,  227;  Pacific, 
195-6,  218 

China,  74,  329,  336-7 
Australian,  281,  287,  333- 
4 

Red  Gauntlet,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  233,  306,  359 

Red  Jacket,  clipper  ship, 
Australian  service,  247, 
270-2,  337,  346 

Red  Rover,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  216,  355;  records, 
253,  283,  368 

Reed,  Capt.  Sam!.,  Red 
Jacket,  272 

Reindeer,  ship,  56 

Reporter,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
345,  359,  368 

Republic,  packet  ship,  52 

Rescue,  Boston  wrecking 
steamer,  275 

Resolute,  clipper  ship,  291 

Resource,  ship,  16 

Rhinebeck,  47 

Rhone,  packet  ship,  41,  44 

Richardson,  Capt.  Josiah, 
Stag  Hound,  144,  178, 
350 ;  Staffordshire,  342, 
352 

Richie,  Capt.  A.  A.,  Fair- 
field, Cal.,  189 

Ringleader,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  359;  records,  284, 
290,  297,  299,  367,  368, 
(to  Melbourne) 

• later  ship,  340 

Robert  C.  Wirithrop,  Bos- 
ton ship,  255 


Robert     Lowe^     Brit.     aux. 

steamer,  331 
Roberts,  Capt.,  Storm,  355 
Robin    Hood,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,    250,    361;    records, 

299,  369 
Robinson,     Capt.     Richard, 

tea     clippers,     199,     326, 

335 
Rockland,   ship,   345 
Rodger     &     Co.,     London, 

owner  of  Taeping,  330 
Rogers,    S.,    Salem,   owner, 

136 
Capt.  Wm.  C,  Witch- 
craft, 140-1,  350 
Romance  of   the  Seas,  Cal. 

clipper  ship,  232,  233,  302, 

345,     359;     records,    248, 

249,  296,  297,  367 
Roosevelt  &  Joyce,  builders, 

N.  Y.,  209,  232 
Ropes,  Capt.  John  F.,  John 

Gilpin,  345 
Roscoe,     packet     ship,     41, 

47 
Roscius,    packet    ship,    40, 

43 
Rose,  Brit,  clipper  schooner, 

opium  trade,  59 
Ross,  Sir  John,  explorer,  84 
Rousseau,    Phila.    ship, 

China  trade,  16 
Rowland,    Capt.,    Mary    L. 

Sutton,  364 
Royal    Charter,    Brit,    iron 

aux.  steamer,  287 
Royal   William,  first  vessel 

to  cross  Atlantic  by  steam 

power,  313 
Rufus  Choate,  Boston  ship, 

255 
Russell,  Capt.,  packets,  45 
&     Co.,     China     mer- 
chants, 58,  63,  64,  70,  97, 

303 
Russell    Sturgis,    Boston 

ship,  255 


398 


Index 


Si.  Andreiv,  packet  ship,  46 

St.  Clair,  packet  ship,  52 

St.  George,  packet  ship,  54 

St.  Laivrence,  Brit,  mer- 
chant frigate,  36 

St.  Michael,  schooner,  15 

St.  Patrick,  Boston  ship, 
54 

Solamis,  Brit,  ship,  Austra- 
lian trade,  333 

Salter,  Capt.  Chas.  H., 
Typhoon,  161,  189,  352 

Samarang,  346 

Sampson,   ship,  16 

Sampson  &  Tappan,  Bos- 
ton, owners  of  Night- 
ingale, 136,  155,  165,  207, 
303,  350,  351,  355 

Samuel  Appleton,  Boston 
ship,  255,  300 

Samuel  Badger,  ship,  161 

Samuel  Russell,  clipper 
ship,  China  trade,  70,  77, 
84,  85,  142,  162,  337,  341; 
records  to  S.  Francisco, 
145,  298,  300,  365,  367 

Samuels,  Capt.  Samuel, 
Dreadnought,  44,  244, 
246-7 

San  Francisco  passages : 
Atlantic  ports,  1849,  101, 
145;  1850,  145-6;  1851, 
174,  175,  178-81,  181-5, 
189-94;  1852,  212-5,  217- 
8,  222;  1853,  224-8,  233; 
1854,  248-9;  1855,  253, 
254;  1856,  290,  306-7; 
1857,  293-4,  295;  General, 
69,  233-4,  365-9;  long, 
193 
Pacific  ports,  195,  211,  219 

San  Francisco,  clipper  ship, 
367 

Sancho  Panza,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,   361 

Santa  Barbara,  86 


Sapphire,  packet  ship,  51 

Saracen,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
361 

Saratoga,  packet  ship,  43 

Sargent,  Capt.  Henry, 
Phantom,  345 

Saunders,  Capt.  Thos.  M., 
Salem,  from  cabin  boy  to 
captain,  119-20 

Savannah,  ship,  47 

first   sailing  ship  with 

auxl.  engine  to  cross  At- 
lantic, 1819,  313 

Schomherg,  Brit,  clipper 
ship,  built  for  Australian 
service,   284-5 

Scott,  John,  &  Co.,  builders, 
Greenock,  208 

Scott  &  Co.,  builders,  Dum- 
barton, 372 

Sea  Serpent,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  186,  141,  196,  211, 
302,  350;  records,  175, 
208,  224,  298,  366 

Sea  Witch,  clipper  ship, 
built  for  China  trade,  68, 
69,  73,  75-7,  136,  156, 
337,  341;  passages,  68- 
9,  189-92  (race)  ;  records, 
145,  174,  208,  214,  296, 
297,  298,  299,  300,  365 

Seacomb  &  Taylor,  owners, 
Boston,  270 

Seaforth,  Brit,  ship,  first 
vessel  with  steel  spars 
and  rigging,  322-3 

Seaman,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
Baltimore,  136,  174,  350; 
records,  299,  300,  365 

Sears,  Capt.,  Robin  Hood, 
361 

Seaver,  Hon.  Benj.,  Boston, 
225 

Seminole,  ship,  369 

Serica,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  320,  346,  371; 
races,  324,  325-30 

Severn,  ship,  16 


Index 


399 


Shackfords,     captains     and 

builders,    Portsmouth,    N. 

H.,  52 
Shakespeare,     packet     ship, 

40,  43,  48 
Shand,   Brit,   ship,  344 
Shaw,  Maxton,  &  Co.,  own- 
ers, London,  319-20 
Sheathing,  copper,  61,  285, 

320,    322;    yellow    metal, 

237 
Sheer,  18,  237,  320 
Sheffield,  Capt.  J.  P.,  Her- 

silia,  77-80 
Shelburne,  N.  S.,  53,  217 
Sheridan,   packet    ship,    40, 

45,  48 
Shoof,  Capt.,  Black  Hawk, 

361 
Shootina  Star,  Cal.  clipper 

ship,  "^152,   173,   193,   337, 

343,    352;     records,    214, 

222,  298,  299,  366 
Shuter,    Thos.    A.,    owner, 

London,  34 
Siddovs,  packet  ship,  40,  43, 

48,  84 
Sierra  Nevada,  Cal.  clipper 

ship,  250,  283,  361;   rec- 
ords, 295,  296,  369 
Silas  Richards,  packet  ship, 

40 
Silsbee,  Capt.,  Syren,  352 
Silvia    de     Grasse,     packet 

ship,  41,  47 
Simmons,      Capt.,      War 

Haivk,  363 
Simonson,     Capt.,     Daring, 

362 
Simoon,    Cal.    clipper    ship, 

355 
Sir  George  Seymour,   Brit. 

ship,  36 
Sir  Launcelot,  Brit,  clipper 

ship,  tea  trade,  324,  332- 

3,  335-6,  346,  371 
Sir     Robert     Peel,     packet 

ship,  48 


Sirius,  Brit,  steamer,  313 
Sirocco,    clipper    ship,    298, 

299 
Skiddy,  Francis,  43 

Capt.  William,  43 

Skylark,    Cal.   clipper   ship, 

299,  359 
Smith,    Adam,     Wealth    of 

Nations,  92 
James,  &  Son,  owners, 

N.  Y.,  106 

Stephen,  builder,  47 

T.     &     W.,     builders, 


Newcastle,  Eng.,  35,  36 
— ■&     Co.,     builders     Ho- 
boken,  N.  J.,  152,  351 

Co.,     builders,     St. 


John,  N.  B.,  266 
—  &  Dimon,  builders, 
N.  Y.,  45,  47,  65,  68,  70, 
135,  349 

Capt.,  355,  362 


Smyrna,  brig,  first  Amer. 
vessel  in  Black  Sea,  15 

Snapdragon,  Cal.  clipper 
barque,  232,  299,  359 

Sneeden  &  Whitlock,  build- 
ers, Greenpoint,  L.  I.,  re- 
built Great  Republic, 
242 

Snow  &  Burgess,  owners, 
304 

Snow  Squall,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  284,  352 

Somes,  Jos.,  owner,  London, 
34,  35,  36 

Sophia  Branilla-Falcon,  347 

So7ith  America,  packet  ship, 
43 

South  Carolina,  ship,  first 
to  leave  S.  Francisco  in 
1849,  101 

Southampton,  packet  ship, 
46 

Southern  Cross,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  152,  195,  352 

Sovereign,  packet  ship, 
40 


400 


Index 


Sovereign  of  the  Seas,  Cal. 
clipper  ship,  216-21,  235, 
237,  281,  337,  344,  355; 
speed,  220-1 ;  records : 
California,  213,  217,  299, 
366;  N.  Y.-L'pool,  220- 
1;  Australia,  269-70 

No.  2,  258 

No.  3,  341 

Sparkling      Wave,     clipper 

ship,  300 
Speed : 

Conditions   and   tests,   9- 

10,   11,  39,   46,   71,   90, 

134,  192,  198,  205,  243, 

286,  294-5,  321,  336-7 

Vessels   built   for,    57, 

60 
Speed  of  Brit,  and  Amer. 
frigates,   4,    8,    10;    E. 
Indiamen,  30,   35;    opi- 
um clippers,  59;  Amer. 
clippers,      135-6,      153, 
193,  278,   282    (highest 
rate)  ;  of  Brit,  tea  clip- 
pers,   320-1,    324,    334, 
335-6;  of  steamers,  221, 
278    309 
Speed  in  knots,  71,  161,  169, 
178,    220,    251,    276,    278, 
281,    282,    328;    average, 
46,  180,  219-20,  245,  278, 
338 
Spicer,  Capt.,  David  Crock- 
ett, 356 
Spindrift,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  332,  333,   335, 
346,  371,  375 
Spirit  of  the  Age,  Brit,  clip- 
per ship,  208 
Spirit    of    the    Times,    Cal. 

clipper  ship,  359 
Spitfire,    Cal.   clipper   ship, 

359 
Splendid,  packet  ship,  48 
Spofford  &  Tillotson,  N.  Y.- 

L'pool  packet  line,  42-3 
Spooner,  see  Borrows 


Sprague  &  James,  builders, 

Medford,  52,  58 
Stadt    Antwerpen,    Belgian 

barque,  343 
Staffordshire,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,   152,   193,   217,   342, 

352;     records,    214,    300, 

366 
Stag    Hound,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,  136,  142-3,  151,  205, 

211,  216,  237,  337,  341, 

350,  375;  records,  178, 

195,  208,  298,  299,  365, 

367 
Star     of     Empire,     packet 

ship,  270 
Star   of   Peace,    Brit,    ship, 

Australian  trade,  333 
Starlight,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

299,   361 
Starr     King,     Cal.     clipper 

ship,  255,  299,  362 
Steele,  Robt.,  &  Son,  build- 
ers,   Greenock,    319,    320, 

322,    324,    346,   347,    371, 

372 
Steers,    Geo.,   designer   and 

builder,  49,  250 
Stephania,  packet  ship,  41 
Stephen,    Alex.,   builder, 

Glasgow,  322,  371 
Stoddard,  Capt.,  349,  358 
Stevens,     Capt.,     Southern 

Cross,  352 
Storm,  Cal.  clipper  barque, 

298,  355,  366 
Storm    King,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,  359 
Stornoway,      Brit,      clipper 

ship,  198,  202,  205,  206- 

7,  376 
Straho,  ship,  52 
Sultana,  barque,  56 
Sunny  South,  clipper  ship, 

China  trade,  250;  slaver, 

251 
Supremacy,  339;  American, 

311,  314;  British,  210 


Index 


40t 


Surprise,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
135,  136-8,  174-5,  196, 
202,  205,  207-8,  271,  337, 
341,  350;  records,  175, 
195,  206,  208,  296,  297, 
298,  299,  365 

Susannah,  Brit.  E.  India- 
man,  32 

Sutton  &  Co.,  N.  Y.,  own- 
ers, 106,  303 

Sweepstakes,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  232,  233,  301,  345, 
359;  records,  289-90,  296, 
297,  298,  299,  368;  log, 
290 

Sivord  Fish,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  84,  152,  153,  159, 
193,  206,  306,  337,  352; 
records,  208,  224,  296, 
297,  298,  299,  300,  366; 
race,  212-13 

Syren,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 
152,  352 


Taeping,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  322,  371;  races, 
324-30,  332-5 

Taitsing,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  324,  347,  371, 
375;  race,  324-30 

Talhot,  ship,  52 

Tampico,  brig,  84 

Tayleur,  Brit,  ship  (iron), 
for  Australian  service, 
267 

Tea   Trade,  iii: 

to  England:  Amer.  clip- 
pers in,  96-8  196-7, 
200-2;  see  Tea  clippers; 
amount,  320 ;  freights, 
196,  207,  323;  premiums, 
324,  330 

Telegraph,  clipper  ship, 
Cal.  passages,  299,  368 

Templer,  Henry,  owner, 
London,  34 


Teutonic,  White  Star  S.  S., 

312 
Thacker    &    Mangels,    own- 
ers, London,  34 
Thames,  Brit.  E.  Indiaman, 

35 
Thayer,     Capt.,    Cleopatra, 

353 
Thermopylae,    Brit,    clipper 

ship,     tea    trade,    332-6, 

347,  371,  375 
Thomas,  C.  W.  &  H.,  N.  Y., 

owners    of    Hurricane, 

163 
Geo.,     Rockland,     Me., 

builder    of    Red    Jacket, 

270 
Thomas,  Brit.  E.  Indiaman, 

24 
Thomas  Coutts,  Brit.  E.  In- 
diaman,  32 
Thomas  Granville,  Brit.  E. 

Indiaman,  32 
Thomas    H.    Perkins,    ship, 

Boston,   255 
Thorndike,  Capt.,  Live  Yan- 
kee, 358 
Tindall  &  Co.'s  Australian 

line,  263 
Tingqua,  clipper  ship,  298 
Titania,  Brit,   clipper  ship, 

tea  trade,  332,  336,  375; 

still  in  service,  347 
Toby  &  Littlefield,  builders, 

Portsmouth,    N.    H.,    52, 

233 
Todd,    Capt.,    2d    Witch    of 

the  Wave,  364 
Ton  in  cubic  feet,  104,  196, 

323,  335,  373-5 
Tonnage,  aggregate: 

Afloat,  289;  built,  3-4,  52, 
151;  captured,  7; 
owned,  13,  71,  292 
(steam),  308;  sent  out, 
33;  sold,  292 
Tonnage,  detail: 

American,  early,  1,  2,  4, 


402 


Index 


Tonnage,  detail — Continued 
6,  14-18,  51-4,  80,  119; 
packets,  38,  40,  42,  45, 
46,  142,  243;  opium 
clippers,  58-9 ;  China 
clippers,  60,  62-5,  68, 
70,  96,  250;  California 
clippers,  135-6,  142, 
153-6,  159,  161-6,  216, 
233,  254,  349-64;  Aus- 
tralian clippers,  235, 
242,  265-7,  270,  273; 
pilot  boats,  193,  305; 
increase  in,  42,  151, 
216 
British:  E.  Indiamen,  23, 
25,  32-7;  Aberdeen 
clippers,  58;  tea  clip- 
pers, 198,  199,  205-6, 
208,  320,  322-3,  333, 
371-2;  Australian  clip- 
pers, 267,  284,  338; 
steamers,  286,  287 
Tonnage  Laws,  20,  198-9, 
315,  323,  373-6;  see  Tax 
Topaz,  packet  ship,  51 
Tornado,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

152,  211,  283,  343,  352 
Toronto,    packet    ship,    48, 

162 
Trade    Wind,    Cal.    clipper 
ship,   152,  164,    193,   337, 
343,    352;     records,    224, 
299,  366 
Trades    Increase,    Brit.    E. 

Indiaman,   1609,  23 

Train,     Enoch,     Boston, 

owner,  54-5,  153,  221,  255 

Train's     Line,     Boston- 

L'pool  packets,  55-6,  270, 

275 

Trask,  Capt.    Benj.,   packet 

ships,  43 
Trenton,  packet  ship,  52 
Trident,  ship,  1805,  17 
Trieste,  barque,  291 
Triton,  ship,  1805,  17 
Trufant    &    Drummond, 


builders,  Bath,  Me.,   152, 

351,  357,  360 
Tucker,  Capt.,  Swalloiv,  362 
Turner,  Capt.,  Starr  King, 

362 
Tuscarora,  packet  ship,  40 
Twilight,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

295,  364,  369 
Ttuo  Friends,  brig,  15 
Typhoon,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

152,   161,   337,   342,   352; 

race,    189-92;    records, 

192,  208,  299,  300,  365 


U 


Undaunted,  Cal.  clipper 

ship,  345,  359 
Union,  sloop,  15 
Upham,  Hon.  Chas.  W.,  169 
Upton,     Geo.     B.,     Boston, 

owner,  56,  136,  155,  233, 

304 
Utica,  packet  ship,  41 


Vail,  Thos.,  builder,  N.  Y., 

16 
Valparaiso,  ship,  164 
Vancouver,  ship,  208 
Vanguard,  packet  ship,  48 
Venice,  ship,  161 
Very,   John    Crowninshield, 

163 
Capt.      Saml.,     Hurri- 
cane, 163,  351;  Mrs.  Very, 

306 
Vicksburg,  ship,  47 
Victoria,  packet  ship,  44,  47 
Victory,  packet  ship,  244 
Viking,    Cal.    clipper    ship, 

360 
Vimiera,  Brit,  ship,  267 
Vincent,   Wm.,   builder,    N. 

Y.,  16 
Voltaire,     ship     in     China 

trade   (Girard),  16 


Index 


403 


Vulcan,  Brit,  ship,  first  iron 
sailing  ship,  1818,  313 

w 

Wakeman,  Capt.,  Adelaide, 
360 

WandereVy  Brit,  clipper 
schooner,  opium  trade,  59 

War  Haivk,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  363 

Wardle,  T.,  &  Co.,  N.  Y., 
owners  of  Eclipse,  136, 
349 

Warner,  Capt.,  Sov.  of  the 
Seas,  269-70;  Donald  Mc- 
Kay, 281 

Washington  Irving,  packet 
ship,  56 

Waterman,  Capt.  G.  B., 
Highflijer,  344,  354 

Capt.    Robt.   H.,   73-7, 

145,  189;  Britannia,  73- 
4;  Natchez,  68,  74-5; 
Sea  Witch,  68-9,  73,  75, 
208;  Northerner,  75,  189; 
Challenge,  156,  181-9, 
350;  Mrs.  Waterman,  75 
&      Elwell,      builders, 


Medford,  52,  63 
Watkins,  Capt.  Jas.,  Akbar, 

62 
Watson,    Capt.,    Polynesia, 

355 
Webb,  Isaac,  builder,  N.  Y., 

47,  48,  53,  74,  217;  &  Co., 

40 
Wm.  H.,  son  of  Isaac, 

builder,    42,    48,    62,    63, 

ia5-6,  142,  152,  156,  159, 

164,  212,  216,  232-4,  250, 

291,  349-52,  354,  359 
Wilsey,     father     of 

Isaac,  47 
•&    Allen,   builders,    N. 

Y.,  48 
Weld,  W.  F.,  &  Co.,  owners. 


Boston,  304,  357 

&  Baker,  owners,  Bos- 
ton, 363 

Wells  &  Emanuel,  owners, 
N.  Y.,  106,  304 

West  Point,  packet  ship,  44, 
48 

Westervelt,  Aaron  and  Dan- 
iel, sons  of  Jacob  A.,  49, 
233 

Jacob    A.,   builder,    N. 

Y.,    48-9,    216,    227,    232, 
250,  297,  352-4,  358-9 

&  Co.,  49 

&   Sons,   49,   152,   162, 


351 

&  Mackay,  46,  48 

Westward  Ho,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  216,  237,  255;  rec- 
ords,  224,   253,   295,  297, 

298,  300,  366,  367,  368 
Whirlwind,    Cal.   clipper 

ship,  216,  284,  343,  355 
Whistler,  Cal.  clipper  ship, 

299,  360 

White  Sq2(all,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  136,  142,  196,  242, 
337,  350;  records,  298, 
299,  300,  366 

White  Swallow,  clipper  ship, 

298,  369 

Whitridge,     Thos.,    &     Co., 

owners,  Baltimore,  254 
Wigram,  Robt.,  builder  and 

owner,    London,    35,    36, 

285 
Wild  Dayrell,  Brit,  clipper 

schooner,  opium  trade, 

59 
Wild  Hunter,  clipper  ship, 

368 
Wild    Pigeon,    Cal.    clipper 

ship,    152,    353;    records, 

299,  300,  366 

Wild     Wave,     Cal.     clipper 

ship,  360 
William  G.  Anderson,  U.  S. 

clipper  barque,  141 


404 


Index 


William  Tell,  packet  ship, 
41,  47 

William  Thompson,  packet 
ship,  38 

Williams,  J.,  &  Son.,  build- 
ers, Williamsburg,  N.  Y., 
136,  152,  349,  352 

Jabez,   builder,   N.   Y., 

216,  355 

Capt.  John  E.,  An- 
drew Jackson,  247,  295, 
362 

•&  Guion,  owners,  304 

Willis,  Capt.,  Cal.  clippers, 
351,  361 

Wilson,  W.,  &  Sons,  owners, 
Baltimore,  356,  357 

Windhover,  Brit,  clipper 
ship,  tea  trade,  332,  336, 
346,  372 

Windsor,  Brit.  E.  India- 
man,  32 

Windsor  Castle,  Brit,  ship, 
36 

Winged  Arrow,  clipper  ship, 
299,  300 

Winged  Racer,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,  216,  344,  355,  367 

Winsor,  Capt.  C.  F.,  344, 
351,  354,  356 

Witch  of  the  Wave,  Cal. 
clipper  ship,  152,  153, 
166-72  (trip  on),  173, 
353;  records,  206,  299 

Witchcraft,  Cal.  clipper 
ship,   136,  140,  211,   302, 


350;     records,    178,    248, 

296,  365,  366,  367 
Wizard,    Cal.    clipper    ship, 

216,  355 
Wolfe,  W.  A.  &  A.  Foster, 

Jr.,     N.     Y.,     owners    of 

Courier,  54 
Woodhouse,     Capt.     Philip, 

packet  ships,  43 
Woodside,     Capt.,     Wizard, 

355 
Wooton,     Jas.     A.,     packet 

ship  captain,  44 
Wylo,    Brit,     clipper    ship, 

tea  trade,  332,  372 
Wyteerhoven,  Capt.,  343 


Yang-tze,  Brit,  clipper  ship, 
tea  trade,  322,  333,  347, 
371 

Yorkshire,  packet  ship,  41, 
46,  48,  89 

Yorktown,  packet  ship,  48 

Young  America,  Cal.  clip- 
per ship,  84,  232,  233-4, 
301,  306,  337,  360;  rec- 
ords, 233-4,  297-300,  367- 
70 


Zerega,     Capt.,     Queen     of 

Clippers,  359 
Zerega   &   Co.,   owners,   N. 

Y.,  56,  359 


/? 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DLL  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


KCT)ilt)-Oll( 
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